Ragnarok Dawns
by TLC89
Summary: Hiccup and the riders are reunited with their dragons to face an old enemy who has become stronger and more dangerous. The dragon riders are joined by a mysterious young woman whose history intersects with theirs more than they realize.
1. Chapter 1: Back to the Edge of the World

**CHAPTER ONE: BACK TO THE EDGE OF THE WORLD**

_Hiccup_

Instead of waking to first light streaming through the window, Hiccup awoke to a sound he thought he would never hear again. Dust fell from the rafters as the sound of a dragon jumping on the roof jarred him from his sleep. It was still dark outside, so Hiccup assumed he was dreaming, but another loud bang came from the roof.

He quickly attached his prosthetic and ran outside without bothering to get dressed. A black shape leapt from the roof and ran to him.

"Toothless?" He asked, completely in shock.

Toothless rumbled and nuzzled his former rider and friend.

"What in Odin are you doing here?"

Toothless grabbed Hiccup's hand in his mouth and started pulling him to the edge of New Berk.

"Woah bud, what's going on?" Hiccup pulled his hand out of the dragon's mouth.

Toothless then started to push the chief towards the cliff face. When Hiccup hesitated, Toothless shoved his head between the man's legs and flipped him up onto his back.

"I get it, I get it, we need to go. Will you at least let me get dressed and tell Astrid?"

Toothless huffed, and walked back to the chief's house. Hiccup dismounted, scratched the dragon under the chin, and smiled.

"I don't know why you're here or what's going on, but I am really happy to see you bud."

The dragon purred and Hiccup walked into his house. He walked up the stairs to the bed, where his wife and general slept.

"Astrid," he whispered, stroking her blond bangs off if her face, "Astrid."

His wife groaned and rolled away from Hiccup.

"Astrid!" He whispered, this time with more urgency. "Astrid, wake up! Toothless is here!"

The blonde woman instantly sat up, looking at her husband, eyes wide.

"What?" She hissed.

"Toothless is outside. I don't know what's going on, but he wants me to come with him," Hiccup replied.

"This is crazy. The dragons have been gone for over four years. Why are they back?" Astrid asked, moving to get out of the bed.

"I'm not sure. I only saw Toothless. He is really itching to go. Something is going on," Hiccup responded softly, pulling on a shirt and vest.

"I'm coming with you." Astrid said.

"No, milady. You are in no condition to fly and I need you to run the village in my stead."

"That's ridiculous! I'm your wife and your general. Your mom can take care of things."

"Normally, I would agree, but I don't know how long this is going to take," he said, throwing extra clothes into a satchel. "This baby is going to be here soon. I can't have you rushing off into something potentially dangerous"

Astrid sighed in resignation and sat back on the bed, her hands resting on her large stomach.

"You're right. Everyone is going to want to know where you are. What should I tell them?" She asked her husband.

"Tell them the truth. That Toothless showed up and needed me. Tell them not to worry. If there was an emergency, more of the dragons would have returned," he said.

"I will be back as soon as I can, milady."

Astrid stood and walked across the floor to where her husband was attaching his fur cape.

"You better."

She grabbed him by the shirt and pulled him in a for a long, bruising kiss. His hands wrapped around her waist and pulled her in close. Her arms slid around his neck and her fingers wound into his hair.

The kiss ended like a question, asking 'when will you be back?'

Hiccup took a deep breath and rested his forehead against Astrid's.

"I love you."

"I love you too," she replied. "Come back to me soon."

"I will," he promised.

Hiccup dropped to his knees, and placed both hands on her belly. He rested his forehead against her and spoke to the child within.

"I love you, my terrible terror. I will be back as soon as I can. Behave for Mommy."

With a final kiss to his wife, Hiccup picked up his bag of provisions, walked out of the house, and mounted the black dragon.

"Let's go bud."

With a gust of air beneath black wings, the two vanished into the night.

Hiccup sat on Toothless, watching the reflection of the moon and stars on the ocean's surface as they flew towards the dragon's home. His mind raced with reasons as to why the dragon returned. What kind of threat was endangering his friend? Were the rest of the dragons in danger? The Light Fury?

Toothless sent a soft call into the darkness, pulling Hiccup from his thoughts.

"Is everything ok, bud?" He asked, noticing the Night Fury's head turned to his left and his ears perked, as if looking for something.

"What is it?"

A quiet roar came from their left, a return call from another dragon.

From the darkness, Hiccup could see the shape of another familiar dragon. Two sets of massive wings, and a flat, yet expressive face drew closer.

"Cloudjumper?"

The large Stormcutter looked at Hiccup and crooned a rumble of acknowledgement.

From the imposing dragon's back, Hiccup noticed a slim, familiar figure.

"Mom?!"

"Hiccup, my dear! Do you have any idea what is going on?" his mother asked.

"No. Toothless woke me up then all but dragged me off of Berk."

"Cloudjumper did the same. I'll admit, I am concerned as to what we might find."

"Me too," Hiccup said quietly, his mind again reeling with thoughts.

"Although it's wonderful to be flying again," Valka added after a few moments of silence. She stretched her arms wide to feel the breeze.

Hiccup smiled and agreed, lifting his chin high into the cool night air.

The two flew in silence for sometime, simply enjoying the feeling of flying with their companions again. Hiccup had missed flying almost as much as he missed his best friend. A thought popped into his head as he remembered his light flight with his friend.

"Bud, this is the first time I've ever flown without a saddle!"

Toothless turned a bright green eye to his friend and smiled, his massive tongue flopping out of his mouth.

"Show me what you can do, bud."

The Night Fury's shot into the sky, only the sound of Valka laughing could be heard over the rush of the wind.

"Yeah, baby!"

Before long, the sun began to rise over the great expanse of ocean. The chief, his mother, and their dragons had flown with little conversation, all if them enjoying the company and the feeling of being together again.

Why the sky had changed from purple, to pink, to blue as the sun rose, the familiar sound of rushing water became more noticeable.

Toothless rumbled to his Rider and dove into the giant crater.

Hiccup felt the mist from the falls as they all entered the Hidden World together.


	2. Chapter 2: Through Hel

**CHAPTER TWO: THROUGH HEL**

_Hiccup_

Once they entered the Dragons' Haven, Hiccup found himself again in awe of its beauty. Thousands of dragons in every color imaginable flew around them. Bioluminescent plants and rocks sheltered dragons and eggs alike. Hiccup wanted to look everywhere at once. As Toothless flew, Hiccup noticed a pair of Deadly Nadders nuzzling and caring for their babies. The chief's thoughts went to his wife. With a pang of sadness, he wished to be able to bring his family here. To show them its beauty, its wonder, and its energy. This haven was filled with so much life. But here the dragons we're safe and protected. Here they could raise children and live out their lives. And that was far more important than any visit.

Toothless made his way to a large rock face. At the bottom was a small lake and a forest. The dragons landed and the riders dismounted.

"Why did you bring me here, bud?" Hiccup asked his friend.

Toothless nudged his friend towards the forest and made his way into the trees. Hiccup followed the Night Fury, with Valka and Cloudjumper behind them.

Within the safety of the trees, not far from the rocks, Hiccup realized that Toothless was taking him to his mate. Fearing that she may be injured, Hiccup and Valka rushed forward.

The Light Fury narrowed her blue eyes and let out a quiet warning to the humans. Toothless went ahead and nuzzled his mate. He looked back at Hiccup, and then again at the Light Fury.

It was then that Hiccup noticed that the white dragon had her wings wrapped protectively around something. He made his way toward, hand raised.

"Hey girl," he said softly, "we're here to help. Toothless came to get me and my mom. We can help. What's the matter?"

The Light Fury again growled a warning, though quieter. She looked to Toothless and he nuzzled her head again. Her blue eyes softened and she pulled back her wing to show what she had been hiding.

Hiccup and Valka gasped in surprise. Wrapped in the wings of Toothless's mate was a woman. She was asleep and barely covered by what appeared to be the remains of an old, worn tunic and trousers.

"Wha…?" Hiccup turned to his mom, eyebrows raised. His mother only shrugged, her eyes also showing confusion.

"Give me your cloak son. The poor girl is nearly naked."

Hiccup unclipped his cloak and handed it to Valka.

"Who is she? How did she get here?" Hiccup asked.

"I am not sure, son. I'm sure we will get answers as soon as she wakes." Valka said as she covered the sleeping form with the fur.

"Is this why you brought me here bud?" Hiccup asked his friend, walking towards him.

Toothless purred in assent and nudged the sleeping woman.

Hiccup observed the girl's sleeping form. She was still partially covered by the Light Fury's wing, but Hiccup could make out her features. She was close to his age, maybe mid-twenties. She was petite with an athletic build, though slightly underfed, as her bones were visible through her fair skin. Her hair was a vivid red, though dulled from the tangles and dirt. Her skin, though fair, was covered with dirt and scars. A set of what looked like claw marks raked across her right shoulder and she had an old burn on her forearm. Across her left thigh was a large gash that was easily the length of his hand. The skin around is was red and shiny, stretched from swelling. He knew the skin there would be hot with infection. She had clearly been through Hel. Hiccup wondered what happened, and how long she had been there.

He was concerned for the woman, especially with the wound and infection. He wanted to help this strange, feral-looking young woman.

"Miss," he reached out for her shoulder, "are you okay?"

They young woman did not wake or even seem to hear him.

"Hello?" he asked again, this time louder. "Can you hear me?"

He turned to his mom and shrugged his shoulders. Valka stepped forward, knelt down, and placed her hand on the young woman's dirt covered face.

"She is burning with fever," she said, "She is unconscious as well. We need to help her now."

Hiccup inspected the wound as his mom pulled a spare tunic from her bag and began to rip several long strips. The edges were tinted blue, and Hiccup immediately knew what caused the gash.

"Mom, this is from a Nadder spine!" Valka rushed over, clutching the cloth strips and her leather flask filled with clean water.

"The poison from the spine caused the infection," she said, "We need to clean it now and remove the dead flesh, or the infection will spread."

Hiccup and Valka approached the Light Fury and knelt in front of the young woman.

"Hiccup, you will need to hold her shoulders in case she wakes while I am cleaning the wound. It will be very painful for her," Valka directed.

Hiccup nodded and held his hand out to the Light Fury, "We're here to help her," he said, "but this is going to hurt. Please let us help."

The white dragon paused before placing her nose in Hiccup's hand for a moment. She stood up, and gracefully walked over to Toothless, and sat next to him.

Hiccup watched the two dragons nuzzle in affection before turning his full attention to the women in front of him. "Okay, let's do this."

Hiccup gently lifted the girl's shoulders and lowered her back down onto his lap. He laid an arm across her shoulders and nodded to his mom.

"Ready."

Valka nodded solemnly and pulled out a sharp knife. She cut away the girl's trouser leg to better access the laceration. She arranged her knees on either side of the girl's leg, so that she couldn't pull it away. Valka wet a piece of cloth with some water and gently washed away the blood and grime.

Hiccup glanced at the young woman, but she hadn't even flinched.

Once Valka has finished thoroughly washing the wound, she took a deep breath, spread the wound between her thumb and forefinger and using the knife in her other hand, bagan scraping away the diseased and decaying tissue.

The girl moaned and began to move her head and tightened his grip on her shoulders. He shushed her and began speaking to her very quietly.

"Shhh. Hey, it's ok. We're almost done, It'll be ok."

Hiccup could see sweat forming on her brow.

"Mom?" he asked, knowing the girl would most likely wake soon.

"Almost done," she replied, sweat on her own forehead as she concentrated and carefully maneuvered the blade. Blood had begun to steadily seep from the wound in small rivulets. Valka poured some water on the laceration to clear the blood away and scraped away the last remaining bit of necrotic tissue.

"There," she sighed, "the poisoned flesh is gone. The wound just needs to be cauterized."

Hiccup nodded grimly, "Toothless, heat up the knife for Mom."

The black dragon approached and let out a plasma stream on the knife that Valka had set on the ground in front of him.

Valka picked up the white-hot blade with one fabric-wrapped hand. "Hold her very tight, Hiccup."

Hiccup readjusted his grip and watched as his mom put all of her weight on the girl's leg. She placed the hand not holding the knife just above the girl's knee to prevent it from jerking. With a final, calming breath, Valka pressed the flat of the scorching blade across the gash.

The unconscious young woman's body lurched and she let out a blood-curdling scream.

As the smell of burning flesh reached his nose, Hiccup leaned closer to the girl's ear. With one strong arm he gripped her shoulders, and placed his other hand on the girl's forehead. He had to close his eyes, and reassure the young woman that everything would be alright.

Valka removed the blade from the cauterized wound- now blistered, but no longer bleeding. The young woman slumped back into Hiccup's lap, still unconscious.

With a deep sigh, Valka stood and looked at Hiccup.

"I need to clean my hands. Could you clean the burn and bandaged it please?" she asked, exhausted.

"Yeah," Hiccup replied quickly. The shock of what he had witnessed still tumbling about inside his head and his stomach, the smell of burning flesh still in his nostrils.

He gently set the woman's body on the ground in front if him, and made his way around to her leg. He picked up the water-filled canteen and gently poured a small stream of cold water over the blistered skin. The woman let out a quiet groan, but otherwise remained still. He picked up the strips of fabric and began to gently wrap them around her leg. He completely covered the wound before tying the remaining end down and placing his hand on her knee.

He rested for a beat before the leg under his hand jerked away and he was knocked backwards by two surprisingly strong hands. The girl pinned his shoulders to the ground before baring her teeth and letting out a screaming roar. Then she turned and fled towards the rock face, the Light Fury hot on her heels.

Hiccup laid there in complete shock for a moment, before letting his arms and legs flop to the ground.


	3. Chapter 3: Humanity Lost

**CHAPTER THREE: HUMANITY LOST**

CAUTION- contains mentions of rape, violence, and death.

Stranger

She ran as fast as she could. Who was that? She asked herself, her mind reeling. It's been years since she'd seen humans, and those that she had seen had been dangerous and deadly.

The young woman ran until the pain in her leg made her stop. She sat down on a rock, panting. She looked at her leg, peeling back the bandage to reveal a shiny, red burn where the Nadder spine had grazed her leg. Somehow, this stranger had found her, removed the poison, and cauterized the gash in her leg. These weren't like the people that she knew. They would have killed her on sight. But that man had helped her, and done so with kindness. She had woken up with a gentle hand on her knee. Not a firm grip around her arm or a knife to her throat. He could have restrained her with rope or chains, or even left her to die from infection. That thought made the woman take a second look at her leg. It was clean. And more than just a "jump in the lake" kind of clean. She gingerly touched the burn mark and hissed at the pain. The burn definitely stung, but there was no burn of infection. She carefully rewrapped the bandage around her leg and leaned back.

Moon purred and rubbed her head against the woman and sniffed at her leg. She rested her hand behind the dragon's ears and gently scratched as her thoughts turned to the young man that she had just encountered. He wasn't aggressive in nature or appearance. If fact, he had seemed downright terrified when she had pinned him. She could only assume he was her age, tall, but thinner than the men of her nation.

I wondered how he had gotten to this sanctuary. The only way into these cavern that I knew of was to fly. An image of an imposing figure from my past riding on the back of a great dragon filled me with fear. Did he follow that tyrant's orders? Did he have the same beliefs? I instantly feared for my dragon family here in this haven. They were the only family I had. My own human family had all died. My own father at the hands of the self-proclaimed master.

The girl wrapped her arms around Moon and the white dragon warbled quietly, nuzzling into the young woman before pulling away, moving back towards the way they came. She looked back at her companion, her blue eyes asking the girl to follow her back. The young woman took a deep breath and stood up, wincing as she put weight on her left leg. Moon trotted back to her, and moved under her arm, helping to support her weight as they walked back towards the strange man.

Hiccup

Valka walked over to her son laying on the ground. She couldn't help but let out a soft chuckle the the scene she just witnessed. Hiccup looked up at her, his eyes still wide with shock.

"What. In Odin's Balls. Was that?!" Hiccup gasped, his body still paralyzed with shock.

"I guess she woke up," Valka mused, turning towards the path that the young woman and light fury had taken.

"You think?" her son responded, sitting up.

"I am curious about her behavior," the woman replied, "It seemed fearful, aggressive, almost feral. Not unlike-"

"A dragon," Hiccup interjected.

Hiccup stood up and followed her gaze. They stood quietly for a moment, contemplating what they just witnessed and the implications it had. Hiccup wondered how she had come to be here, and why she wasn't chased away. The dragons that lived in the Hidden World did not take kindly to humans. He remembered how he and Astrid had been chased by a hoard of dragons, only escaping with Toothless and Stormfly came to their rescue. Could this young, feral, woman have been here for years with no human contact?

As if hearing his thoughts, Valka spoke quietly; "For twenty years I lived with dragons. I had forgotten what it meant to be human. I spoke their language, both with sounds and with posture. It wasn't until you came into my life that I even uttered a word in Norse. She reminds me of a younger version of myself. She may have lost touch with humanity, living only as a dragon would. She sees us as an enemy, here to disrupt our way of life."

As his mother turned back towards Cloudjumper, Hiccup continued looking towards the direction that the two females had fled to, wondering about the young woman's past.

Toothless nudged him and crooned softly.

"Hey bud, I'm fine. Just wondering who she is," he said to his friend, "Let's get going."

Hiccup went to mount the dragon, but Toothless moved away from him. Hiccup sighed and walked around to the other side, again attempting to climb up. Once more, Toothless moved away from the young chief, this time dropping his rump to the ground, and cocking his head to the side in question.

"Toothless, come on!" Hiccup exclaimed, "I don't have time for this! We helped her, but now I need to get back to New Berk."

Toothless nudged Hiccup and called quietly into the woods. Out of the shadows, the light fury moved gracefully towards her mate. They nuzzled each other, turning their gaze back to the trees. The light fury called into the treeline softly, stepping forward. Hiccup was surprised to hear a timid trill in response. The alpha dragon and his mate then turned around and lie down.

"I guess we're not going anywhere," huffed Hiccup, his mother smiling inwardly.

Stranger

Moon and the woman had reached the glade at the base of the cliff. She could see Alpha avoiding the young man, completely comfortable with the human's presence. The large dragon sat on the ground, and the man huffed in annoyance. In the background, she noticed the large Stormcutter that had come to the sanctuary with Alpha watching the scene in front of him with amusement. From behind him, a tall thin woman that she had not seen before stepped into view, smiling at the two with fondness.

Alpha looked toward the pair, and called them to him. The woman stepped back, but Moon turned and looked at her before walking to her mate. She took her place beside him and beckoned the girl to them. They showed no fear, but she was apprehensive. She denied them, preferring to stay in the cover of the trees. The two dragons turned an lay down, granting the pale girl her privacy.

She observed the two strangers. They were clearly related, as they had the same body structure and similar hair colors. What surprised her was the level of comfort that the dragons had with the humans, and comfort that the humans had in return.

The woman carried a bag on her shoulder, made of supple leather, and brought it over to where the man was sitting on a rock. They spoke quietly enough that the feral girl couldn't make out their words, but she could gauge their emotions. The woman was calm and inquisitive, listening to the young man, but obviously taking in the world around her. The young man was very animated and moved his arms while speaking. He seemed frustrated, but not aggravated. The woman pulled some kind of dried meat out of the bag and handed to the man. He thanked her, but continued to speak and wave around his right arm while eating with the left. The woman would smile, nod, or speak in return, but otherwise remained silent, frequently glancing back toward location in the trees where the stranger hid.

They finished eating and stood up. The woman made her way over to the lake and sat down next to the larger dragon who was laying on the ground. She stroked his great snout and examined everything she could see. She lifted up rocks, moss, and plants close to her face to examine them. She watched the great water dragons play in the lake, and the multitude that flew overhead.

The young man went to his own belongings, pulling out a book of some sort and sat along the treeline some distance from me, but close to the napping dragons. He had a stick in his left hand and moved it across the paper. He would look up, squint in concentration, and then turn his attention back to the page. The very tip of his tongue peeked from between his lips as he focused on his task.

The young woman was curious about these people. She wanted to know why they were here, but she was still too nervous to reveal herself to them. She quietly made her way through the trees along the outskirts of the grove closer to the man until she was behind him. He was scratching frantically, the stick flying across the paper. She could not see what was on the pages, as his head blocked her view, but she could see black lines and shaded edges. He was drawing something. She wanted to see what it was, so she inched closer to him, trying to peer over his head. She could see the outskirts of the drawing, a rough sketch of the lake and the cliff face, but the center- the focus of the picture was still hidden. The trees here was sparse, but the young woman didn't care. She was too distracted by her own curiosity, so she took another couple of tentative steps forward. By that point, she could see over his shoulder, and she was shocked at what she saw. It was a perfect image of Moon and Alpha sleeping in the glade. Behind them, the cliff face and to the left of the image, the lake. He had captured so many details; the scales on Alpha's face, the reflections in the lake, even the softness of the moss beneath the sleeping figures. A quiet gasp escaped the girl's lips, and the broad shoulders in front of her stiffened. She took a small step back in apprehension and looked up. Both the woman and the Stormcutter were watching her intently. Neither showed any aggression or fear. She felt herself relax slightly, but her heart still raced. The woman took several slow, measured steps toward her, one hand raised slightly.

"We mean you know harm," she said, her voice warm and gentle, "the dragons brought us here to help you."

The girl did not answer, but she also chose to stay, only taking a small step back.

The young man slowly placed his book on the ground and rose to his feet. He was tall, much taller than than her. And while he was thin, his shoulders were broad which led her to believe that he was quite strong. He hunched himself down slightly, looking up at her through dark, thick brows with bright green eyes.

"It's ok," he said, the corner of his mouth raised in a small smile, "we're friends." He gestured toward the dragons, now awake and standing next to the young man. Both were calm and relaxed, eyes wide, watching her and the young man. "Toothless brought me here. To you."

The young woman did not understand what he meant by that, and she couldn't help the look of confusion that showed on her face, head tilted to one side.

"Oh. Uh-" he said basfully, one hand raising to scratch his neck, "that's Toothless," he gestured to Alpha. "He's my friend. We used to fly together."

As if to show the girl, Alpha moved to the young man, rubbing his head against his chest, purring. The black dragon then turned to meher, eyes wide and tongue lolling out in joy. She looked to Moon, and while the white dragon made no move towards the human, she blinked slowly and dipped her head in acquiescence.

The woman came up to stand beside the man. "This is Hiccup, my son, and I am Valka. Our dragons brought us to you. Do you understand?" she asked.

The mysterious woman understood Norse, though it had been years since she had heard it spoken. She rarely spoke it herself, usually speaking through posture or through dragon-speak, but she nodded nonetheless.

"Would you sit with us?" she added. "We have food and warm clothes."

The idea of food piqued the girl's interest. She smiled shyly and nodded with a bit more enthusiasm.

She followed them out of the trees towards the rocks in the center of the glade. The woman, Valka, walked calmly, back straight, occasionally glancing back at the red-haired girl. Her son, Hiccup, was clearly either excited or nervous, his arms swinging by his side, hands clenched. He too would look back, but would then look away quickly, as if embarrassed.

Valka grabbed her bag and sat down on the rocks, pulling out some dried meat and holding it out to the thin younger woman. It had been ages since she had anything other than what Moon or Alpha brought- usually fish. She grabbed the meat eagerly, nodding in thanks and sitting down beside her. Hiccup had grabbed himself an apple and sat down on the other side of his mother.

"So," he began tentatively, "how did you get here?"

The young woman chewed the dried meat for a moment before swallowing and turning to them, "Moon found me," she said, not recognizing her own voice- it was fuller, more mature, and huskier from roars and purrs instead of murmurs and songs.

Hiccup's eyebrows rose in shock. He was clearly not expecting her to speak. "Who is Moon?"

"Moon," she indicated, gesturing to the white dragon before turning back to the food in her hand.

"The Light Fury?" Valka asked, "She brought you here?"

"She found me on the rocks at the edge of the waterfall," she affirmed.

"If I may ask, my dear" interjected Valka, "what is your name?"

Hiccup flushed, apparently embarrassed that he had forgotten to ask the stranger's name in his excitement.

"Kenna," she answered. "It means 'born from fire' in my mother's language."

"Are you not Norse? You speak the language fluently," she continued.

"I am. My mother's father was a trader and would bring her with him. I guess on one trading mission to the North, she met and fell in love with my father. She stayed, married him, and had me."

"You have an accent though," Hiccup added. "It's familiar, but I can't remember from where…"

"It's the same accent that my father's people have. They speak Norse, but I guess with a different accent than your people," she shrugged, grabbing another piece of dried meat.

"So," Valka continued, shooting a stern look at her son, "how did you come to be at the entrance of the hidden world?"

Kenna paused. She didn't like to think about the series of events that had led her there. Her past was gruesome and painful. She took a deep breath to gather her courage and placed her hands in her lap, my eyes on them instead of on the faces of the two vikings.

"I left my people. It's cowardly and shameful, but I had to leave. My father was challenged by a tyrant for control of my people and its resources."

Kenna did not miss the glance shared between mother and son out of the corner of her eye.

"I was the daughter of a chief. Where I'm from, women are not permitted to be chiefs, but the line of royalty follows the blood line. My mother died when I was born, so I had no brothers. When my father dies, the mantle passes to any sons I may have.

"Our nation is rather large. We have a lot in terms of resources, especially ships and sailors. Our nation's wealth comes primarily from trading; fur, gems, textiles, livestock, even dragons."

Hiccup made a move to interrupt, but Valka shook her head at him, encouraging her to continue.

"My father was challenged for the chiefdom by a stranger. He showed up on our shores with an army and a small fleet of ships, demanding an armada, sailors, and resources. If all of our ships had been in port, we could have defeated him, but the vast majority were away on trading voyages, far away from our people. This...monster threatened my father and the life of all of my people. My father would not bow to him. He refused to give him the ships and goods he demanded. The tyrant threatened to execute my father, take what he needed, and burn my village to the ground. My father was the only family I had. These people were all that I knew. I had to do something. I stepped forward and volunteered myself. In exchange for sparing my father and my people, I would marry him. Any children I bore him would be chief following my father. My father objected, but the challenger accepted my offer. I married him that night. I spent every night for three months on his ship, in his chambers. I was there to provide an heir. That was it. He did not care if I bled, if it hurt, if I didn't want it," her voice tightened with the emotion of reliving those dark days, "it didn't matter, he didn't care, every day and every night, he would, would-"

"Shhh, love." Valka crooned softly, placing one hand on her shoulder and the other stroked her red hair gently. "Hush. It's all right. It's not fair that you had to go through that."

Kenna glanced up at the kind woman and her son. She had never gotten to know her mother, and the warm gesture she showed toward Kenna was calming and comforting. Valka looked at her fondly and gave a small encouraging smile. Her son looked at the young woman with concern on his face. No judgement, just empathy.

Kenna took a small breath and continued her story; "I became pregnant. I didn't want to believe it and held off telling anyone for as long as possible. I prayed the gods would end the pregnancy. I didn't want the offspring of a monster inside me. But I couldn't hide it. He ordered his healer to examine me twice a moon cycle. When he found out, my master," I said with disdain, "announced it to my people. And in front of me and our entire village, he murdered my father."age, he murdered my father."


	4. Chapter 4: Blame

**CHAPTER FOUR: BLAME**

CAUTION- contains strong language as well as mentions of rape, violence, and death.

_Kenna_

Silence. That's all that followed. Kenna couldn't bring herself to look at their faces. She knew what she would see. Shock, disbelief, sadness, maybe even anger. It was the same silence after the dragon master slit her father's throat. A moment of silence before chaos erupted. The silence is always more deafening than the turmoil. He couldn't stand the silence, so she went on.

"In front of all of my people, that man declared himself chief because the heir was inside my belly. His heir was inside my belly. And so he slit my father's throat. I only remember bits and pieces of what happened next. I remember screaming, although I don't know if it was me or someone else. There was shouting and crying, and people moving everywhere. Women tried to run away with their children. My father's men made to kill the usurper. I just remember being in shock, staring at my father's body, completely numb. He used threats of fire and destruction to reign in the crowd. He demanded our ships, our weapons, any goods we had, and all able-bodied men. All were brought to him. Fathers and sons, uncles and nephews, even my own betrothed, the man I loved, bowed to him. I was brought back to his ship and locked in my chambers while our navy was commandeered. We left my own village, broken and burning that night. I don't know where we were heading, but I knew I had to leave. I couldn't give this man the satisfaction of my body. He had already taken everything from me, I would not let him have what he wanted most. So, one night, I packed a small boat, and I left. I know it was cowardly, but I just had to get away."

Moon, sensing her companion's sorrow, had made her way over to Kenna, and now was resting her head on the young woman's lap. Kenna absentmindedly ran her fingers across the dragon's head, feeling the ridges and bumps of her scales, finding comfort in her closeness.

"I got caught in a storm," she continued, "and washed up on the rocks. Moon found me and brought me here. I learned to live again here. I stayed hidden from most of the dragons, but I found company in others. I would help and heal any that were injured or sick. I found purpose again. So, I stayed."

"And the baby?" Hiccup asked tentatively.

"I lost it," she replied coldly. "Not long after coming here."

They sat quiet in our own thoughts before a small voice added, "I'm sorry."

Kenna looked at the young man, his eyes glassy with sadness and pity. "Why? You didn't kill my father. You didn't take everything my people had. That man took my people's livelihoods and futures, all to be the 'dragon conqueror'. Our boats, our navy, and our traders and fishermen, all taken to find him dragons for his dragon army."

"Wait-dragon army?"

She looked at Hiccup and his eyes flashed with confusion, pain, and anger.

"You're telling me that you married Drago Bludvist? That your people provided him ships and trappers?"

His voice raised in anger as he stood up and turned to Kenna before his anger exploded.

"THAT MAN IS THE REASON MY FATHER IS DEAD! THAT MAN TOOK MY DRAGON FROM ME AND TRIED TO DESTROY MY VILLAGE! HE IS THE REASON I'VE LOST SO MUCH!"

Kenna pulled her legs up as she moved backwards, sliding off the rock. Hiccup's eyes never left her as he strode toward her, fire in his eyes.

'YOU'RE THE REASON OUR DRAGONS HAD TO LEAVE! YOU'RE THE REASON MY DAD IS GONE!"

"HICCUP!" Valka attempted to stop the raging man, grabbing her son's arm. He shrugged her off and continued striding toward Kenna.

"THIS IS ALL YOUR FAULT! YOU FUCKED HIM AND GAVE HIM EVERYTHING HE NEEDED TO DESTROY MY FAMILY, TO THREATEN MY TRIBE AND MY DRAGON!"

Moon was beside Kenna, snarling at the fuming man, the young woman's own anger reflected in her eyes. Kenna would not be cornered and berated by this fishbone. She bared my teeth and growled back at him.

She stepped forward and glared into his eyes, a snarl raising in her throat, fury matching his. "YOU HAVE NO RIGHT TO ACCUSE ME! YOU CLAIM THAT HE TOOK EVERYTHING FROM YOU, BUT YOU ARE WRONG! MY VILLAGE IS GONE! MY FATHER IS GONE! THE LOVE OF MY LIFE IS GONE."

She strode toward him, fire burning inside of her as she forced him to take a step back, followed by another.

"DRAGO TOOK EVERYTHING FROM ME! HE TOOK MY FAMILY! HE STOLE MY MAIDENHEAD! HE BURNED MY VILLAGE, NOT CARING IF ANYONE SURVIVED!"

A loud roar interrupted up and stopped them both in their tracks. Alpha stood off to the side, equally between the two, glowing blue with fury and power. He chose not to side with either; his rider or his subject, instead commanding the fighting to end. Beside him, Valka stood next to black dragon, her hand resting on his neck, anger in her eyes, her own great dragon behind her, collar fins and upper wings extended, ready to step in..

"That's enough!" Valka chastised, her eyes burning with anger and disappointment, her voice powerful, "This is Drago's fault. He is the reason both of you have lost so much. Do not blame each other. You have too much in common to lay blame."

Kenna looked away from the Alpha, submitting to him, and stepped away from the young man, moving towards the edge of the treeline. She sat down at the base of the tree and hugged her knees close to her chest, the wound on her thigh stinging in protest. She rested her chin on her knees, "It doesn't matter. None of this matters. The loss, the pain, the destruction. I thought I was safe here, but I'm not."

"What do you mean, my dear?" prompted Valka.

"Every day, more and more dragons come back wounded, or not at all," Kenna explained. "When his alpha was defeated, I thought the dragons would be safe, but others had continued his mission. They trap dragons, trying to trap dragons for armies of their own. One fleet of ships was destroyed a few years back, but it hasn't made a difference. It's actually gotten worse."

Hiccup took a step toward her, "What do you mean it's gotten worse? We destroyed that fleet."

Kenna slowly turned her eyes up to him, "Drago's alive."


	5. Chapter 5: Dragon Army

**CHAPTER FIVE: DRAGON ARMY**

_Kenna_

Again, she was met with silence.

Two sets of green eyes stared back at her, one in quiet shock, one completely dumbfounded. Both individuals trying to grasp the implications of what the had just been told.

"He...survived?" Hiccup asked, his forehead etched with worry.

"Yes, and he is past trapping dragons for his army. He HAS his army."

"But the Alpha was defeated, all of those controlled dragons were released," Valka prompted.

"He had followers to the south. I remember hearing him talking about it with some of his men. An enormous armada of ships, armed with weapons far superior to the devices used to trap dragons. Plus he has thousands of southern dragons. Entire countries, islands, and lands have had their dragons claimed by him."

"How do you know all of this?" Hiccup inquired.

"Most of it I knew back when… When he invaded my country. Plus I keep track of the dragons. When they leave, when they come back, IF they come back. And once the dragons that came with Alpha- Toothless were here, I was able to ride them or Moon to observe. Most of the warlords retreated, some fell back to rejoin with the massive navy. So, I followed them. That armada is making its way here. With Drago leading them. They are destroying entire villages, burning them to the ground, and taking whatever valuables, weapons, or metal they have. They're coming here, to destroy the hidden world. To get revenge on the dragons that defeated him, to conquer and control everything."

"Toothless was the dragon that defeated him."

"What?"

"When his alpha defeated the Bewilderbeast, he made his way to Berk, my home. He had the alpha take control of all of our dragons, including Toothless. I was able to get Toothless back and he challenged the alpha. With the help of the rest of Berk's dragons, he defeated Drago's Bewilderbeast. If Drago wants revenge, he wants it on me and on Toothless. I have to protect my people and the dragons. A chief protects his own."

Hiccup made to grab his belongings and get on Toothless, the intention of heading home apparent.

"Hiccup, wait," Valka said, "we need a plan, we can't pick up everything and move again. We can't keep running."

The young chief sighed and turned back to Kenna. "She's right. You know what Drago is capable of and what he has available. Will you come back with us to New Berk and help us defend Berk as well as all of the dragons?"

She pulled myself to her feet and glanced Alpha and Moon. Both seemed ready, if not excited at the prospect of an adventure.

She smiled at Hiccup. "Yes, but we're going to need some help."

Kenna stepped up onto the large rock in the center of the clearing and held out her hand to Hiccup. He looked at her apprehensively, but took the hand and pulled himself up nonetheless. Alpha was bouncing around like a large puppy, his tongue flopping out of his mouth, excited for what was coming.

Kenna smirked at Hiccup, knowing that what she was about to do would undoubtedly surprise him. She cupped her hands around her mouth and let out a deafening dragon call. Hiccup clapped his hands over his ears and followed Kenna's gaze up.

Within moments, dozens of dragons of every shape and size hovered above the clearing, or entered from the woods. Larger dragons landed in the water to make room for others. Monstrous Nightmares clung to the cliff face, and Gronkles emerged from the rocks. The heads of several Tidal dragons lifted from the lake, turning and looking at the three humans and their dragons.

Hiccup's eyes were wide as his mother laughed. "Oh my gods…" he murmured, in awe of the sight around him.

From above and from the forest, several dragons pushed their way forward to the front. A brown Gronkle who was wiggling with glee, a blue Deadly Nadder who squawked loudly and nipped at the young man's mop of russet hair, a green Hideous Zippleback who had gotten their necks tangled in excitement, a red Monstrous Nightmare that landed on top of a group of Terrible Terrors, sending them scurrying, a large Hotburple who landed with a thump and a contented sigh, and a green and bronze Rumblehorn nudged the young man and purred in happiness. Hiccup smiled and laughed, his elation infectious. He patted noses, rubbed horns, and hugged each of the dragons.

He turned to Kenna, smiling while he scratched under the great Nightmare's chin. "How did you…?"

"They came here with Toothless," she replied, petting an orange Terror that had climbed up into her arms. "They were not scared of me, or aggressive, or timid. They would come visit me often and asked to be ridden or scratched. They craved human affection."

"These are Berk's dragons," he continued. "Every one of these dragoons had a companion that they played with and lived with. We were all devastated when they left."

The vibrant blue Nadder nudged Hiccup. "Astrid has missed you so much, Stormfly," he said quietly, wrapping his long arms around the dragon's neck.

"Stormfly? Is that her name?"

"Yeah. She was-is my wife's dragon."

"It suits her. I usually just called her 'pretty girl'."

He chuckled. "That suits her too."

"Can you tell me their names?" Kenna asked quietly.

"Um, yeah. You already know Toothless and Stormfly. The big Nightmare is Hookfang, the Zippleback is Barf and Belch, the Gronkle is Meatlug, the Hotburple is Grump, and the Rumblehorn is Skullcrusher," he gestured to each one in turn.

"I like their names. I didn't give them names, but I did have ways of referring to each of them." Kenna gestured to Hookfang; "Big guy or tough guy," then to Barch and Belch; "trouble", Hiccup chuckled, then Meatlug; "sweet girl," then Skullcrusher; "handsome," and Grump; "lazy."

Valka had made her way over toward them, her Stormcutter companion close behind her. "And this is Cloudjumper."

"I just called him 'friend'," Kenna said, stroking under the large dragon's chin. "He always looked out for me. If food was scarce, he would hunt for me. He kept the dangerous dragons away. As did Skullcrusher."

"Skullcrusher was my father's dragon," Hiccup said fondly. "They were both stubborn and hard-headed as bulls. When my father was gone, Skullcrusher chose another rider."

Hiccup looked around at the multitude of dragons surrounding them. He smiled small, confident, crooked smile and said, "Drago may have his dragon army, but we have ours."


	6. Chapter 6: Leaving Home

**CHAPTER SIX: LEAVING HOME**

_Kenna_

The decision was made to leave after some rest and some substantial food. While underground, there were ways to tell the time of day. The giant caverns were lighter during the day and darker at nightfall. The mall group was able to determine that it was some point in the evening, and that leaving a first light would be the best option. The dragons had started a fire, some fish was caught and roasted over the fire. Dragons and humans were fed, and the small group had the chance to relax before flying for New Berk.

Most of the dragons had returned to their nests for the evenings. Many had young ones that needed to be fed, while others chose to go get some rest on their own. The small group of close companions chose to stay with the reiders for the night. Hiccup was leaned up against Toothless, Hookfang dozing off as Hiccup stroked his snout. Kenna was leaned up against Moon, Stormfly behind her as she attempted to groom Kenna's tangled red mane. Barf and Belch played in the lake, looking for more fish. Skullcrusher and Cloudjumper sat with Valka a ways back from the fire's warmth.

"I meant to ask earlier," Hiccup began. "What happened to your leg?"

Kenna gently touched the bandages that wrapped her leg. "I mentioned earlier that I help injured dragons. Well, a big male Nadder had come back with arrows embedded in his hide and razor wire wrapped around his legs. I went to help him, but when I went to remove one of the arrows, he shot a spine at me. Toothless calmed him down, so I was able to remove the other arrow, and I tried to make it back home, but the poison spread too fast. I collapsed, and the next thing I remember was waking up to intense pain in my leg, and you sitting next to it."

"Yeah," he said sheepishly, "sorry about that. I didn't realize you were waking up. We had to cut out the poison, and then we had to cauterize it, so it would stop bleeding."

"Thank you," she said. "I probably would have died if Toothless hadn't gone to get you."

"No problem. I was just happy to see my bud." He scratched the black dragon behind the ears, who then let out a contented purr.

"What happened to yours?" Kenna asked, nodding towards the metal contraption attached to his left leg.

"I, uhh, don't actually remember." He scratched the back of his neck. "Toothless and I took on a queen when I was fifteen. His tail rig had burned up, and I lost control, so we ended up hitting her tail. Next thing I know, I'm waking up plus one dragon and minus one leg!" He paused. "I guess it's only fair- I was the one who damaged his tail in the first place."

In response, the alpha dragon lightly smacked the young man's head with his tail.

"How did that happen?" she asked, gently stroking Moon's head, her eyes beginning to close with contentment.

"Well, I uhh, shot him down." Kenna raised her eyebrows. "I know it sounds crazy, someone shooting a Night Fury out of the sky, but my unlucky ass somehow managed to do it. I was the worse viking in my village. Everyone called me 'Hiccup the Useless'. I couldn't lift an axe, or a hammer, or even a sword. During the dragon raids while everyone else was fighting the dragons or putting out fires, I was kept in side. Literally, I was picked up and shoved inside. I wanted to prove myself, so I built a bola launcher and I hit him." Toothless grumbled and nuzzled his friend's side. When I found him the next day, I couldn't kill him, he looked as scared as I felt, so I let him go. He got trapped in a cove and wasn't flying away, that's when I noticed one of his tail fins was missing. It must have gotten damaged when I shot him down. So, I made him a new one. His tail rig could only be operated by a rider at first, but when he met the light fury, I made him a new one, one that didn't need someone to control it."

"Do you blame yourself?" she asked quietly, unsure if that was a sensitive topic.

"At points, I did," he replied honestly. "When the other dragons would leave for their breeding grounds, I always felt bad that he couldn't go with him. I had tried to build him a rig that would let him fly on his own when I was younger, but he destroyed it. I guess he enjoyed flying with me too much." The large dragon licked his friend, and the young man laughed. "Yeah bud, I love you too."

They sat in comfortable silence watching the fire die down as each of the dragons began to relax and fall asleep. Soon, the sound of sleeping dragons surrounded them. Kenna laid down, pressed close to Moon, and she covered the young woman with her wing. Feeling lighter than she had in years, Kenna fell into a peaceful sleep.

She awoke the next morning to the sound of laughter, followed by disgust. She looked over to Hiccup, who had been awakened by Toothless licking his face. "Come on, bud!"

Kenna couldn't help but laugh at the excited dragon's antics. He was bounding around the clearing, splashing in the water, tongue hanging out of his mouth, completely oblivious to anyone who might be in his way, like Hiccup. He had knocked him over at least twice while the young man attempted to stand. "Toothless... yes I know… move bud…..seriously?!" he exclaimed when he was knocked to the ground for a third time. Toothless moved away from the agitated man and sat down, body wiggling in excitement.

Hiccup made his way to the waterfront, kneeling down to wash his face. His mother was packing things up, currently rolling up her sleeping roll and shoving it into her bag.

"Good morning dear," she said pleasantly, "I pulled aside some breakfast for you and Hiccup."

Kenna grabbed an apple and a piece of fish from the small layout Valka had set on the rock. As Kenna ate, both Hiccup and Valka bustled about, packing up their small bags. At the thought of leaving what had been her home for the past several years, her stomach clenched in anxiety. Kenna did not know where they were going. She would be an outsider, not knowing anyone. She feared that she would be unwelcome or judged for her past. Moon sensed Kenna's trepidation, and nudged her nose against the young woman, her eyes calm yet concerned. Kenna smiled at her as she stroked the dragon's head. As long as Moon was with her, everything would be ok.

"Are you ready to go?" Hiccup asked tentatively, his eyebrows furrowed. He clearly noticed Kenna's apprehension.

"Yes," she replied. "I have very few belongings, really just somewhere to sleep and some stored food."

He mounted the black dragon as Valka climbed up Cloudjumper's back. Around the, the small band of dragons rustled and stretched their wings, ready for flight. Kenna stood with her hand on Moon's back, looking around at her home, unsure if she would return.

"Are you OK?" Hiccup asked quietly.

Kenna nodded, "Yeah. This has just been the only home I've had for the past eight years or so."

"Eight years? How old were you when you, uh, left?"

"Eighteen."

"Wow," he said quietly, "I can't believe you volunteered to do that, especially so young."

Kenna shrugged, "I did what I had to do, now let's go." She climbed onto Moon's back, and placed her hands at the base of the dragon's neck.

"Alright bud, let's go." The alpha dragon raised his wings and let out a mighty roar. The small band lifted into the air, and was quickly joined by the rest of the Berk dragons. Kenna took one last look around as Moon took off into the air and took her place next to her mate, leading the dragons back to New Berk.


	7. Chapter 7: In the Air

**CHAPTER SEVEN: IN THE AIR**

Kenna

They flew towards the rising sun in a mass of colored wings. Hiccup, Toothless, Moon, and Kenna lead the group, though the vast majority did not need any guidance- they knew how to find their companions. They flew in relative silence for a few hours, simply focused on the path that lay ahead. The urgency was always present. Kenna had told Hiccup and Valka that Drago was mounting another attack, planning to leave around the summer solstice. Despite the imminent threat of attack, Kenna revelled in the feeling of flying. Moon or Toothless and Kenna never flew in the light of day. Night was far safer. There would be fewer ships, and any watchmen would be unable to spot them in the dark. She breathed the ocean air in deeply, arms wide, and her red hair whipping in the wind. Around her, the dragons enjoyed the open air as well. Several were diving in and out of the waves like porpoises, other dragging their wing tips or feet into the frigid water. There were several hatchlings with us as well. The older ones playing in the air, zipping around the older dragons, until they received a growl of annoyance, where they would quickly escape back to their mother. There were a few new babies, riding on their parents' backs, wings open to the breeze. Kenna looked behind her and noticed a blue Zippleback asleep on his father's back.

Toothless did not stay in the front of the pack for long, He would play with the little ones, building their wing strength and agility, before slowing down to the rear of the group, encouraging some of the older members. He cared for these dragons greatly, and it showed in his attention to them.

As Kenna flew with her eyes closed, feeling the warmth on her face, a voice pulled her out of her relaxation, "Having fun?"

She turned to look at Hiccup, "Yes. I haven't been out in daylight for such a long time, it feels good. So warm."

He smiled, "Yeah. Toothless and I would find any excuse to fly. We'd start flying and not come home for a few days. We would find new islands, new dragons. We flew just to fly, pushing our own limits." The black dragon warbled in response, looking up at his companion, a mischievous glint in his eyes. The glint was reflected in Hiccup's bright green eyes as he smirked at the young woman, "Watch this."

The two plummeted towards the water, tapping its surface before skyrocketing into the clouds. Kenna held her hand up to her eyes to block out the sun, looking for their shadows against its harsh glow. She only had to wait for a moment as one black shape started to become clearer, the dragon and rider making their way back towards us. However, as they approached, Hiccup launched himself off of the dragon's back. Kenna couldn't contain the terrified shout that escaped her lips. The two headed for the water, freefalling. She watched in horror, certain they would both crash. While Toothless might survive the impact, there was no way that Hiccup would. Kenna was frozen in terror, unable to turn away or shout for help. At the very last moment, Toothless maneuvered himself under Hiccup, who placed his legs on either side of the dragon, and the two pulled themselves out of the dive suddenly, the water splashing from the downdraft. Toothless pumped his wings, raising back up to Kenna's level. Behind her, dozens of dragons chortled and roared in what could only be described as dragon laughter.

"What in the name of Thor's ass is wrong with you?!" Kenna's heart was pounding with adrenaline, fear, and now relief."You almost died!"

Hiccup threw his head back and laughed heartily, eyes shut in mirth, his shoulders bouncing.

"Oh gods," he wiped a tear from his eye, "your face is priceless!"

Moon glared at Toothless and let out a rumble in warning. Toothless looked abashed and smacked the still laughing boy with his ear flap.

"Alright, alright." Hiccups laughs faded to giggles, then to chuckles, then stopped, but the large grin on his face remained. "That scares the pants of Astrid too, though I usually end up getting punched."

"Then she is a smart woman," Kenna snapped back.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry. Toothless and I used to pull stunts like that all the time. I actually built myself a flight suit so that I could fly with him. Well, I could glide with him."

"Scared me the first time I saw it too," Valka added, pulling up next to us on Cloudjumper. "He dove right over Toothless's head the first time we met."

Kenna looked at Hiccup, confused as to what his mother meant by 'the first time we met.'

"Mom left when I was a baby, actually carried off by Cloudjumper," he explained. "She lived with them for twenty years before I found her."

.

Kenna nodded, understanding. No wonder Valka was so comfortable around the dragons. She lived with them, like her. She wondered if others would be as understanding.

"What's Berk like?" Kenna asked, curious about their destination.

"Well," began Hiccup, "it's on top of a very tall island. We have to use pulleys and lifts to raise and lower the boats for loading. It's nice, a little eccentric, brand new, but the island is beautiful. Great cliffs, waterfalls, forests, meadows, lakes, hot springs. The only downside has been not having our dragons." He scratched Toothless's head.

"And your people? Will they see me as an outsider?" she asked.

"No my dear," said Valka. "Berk's people are stubborn, creative, and hearty, but they are most certainly not rude."

"Well, most of them," Hiccup added. "My friend Snotlout is a pain in the ass, rude, and egotistical, but harmless." Valka nodded in agreement.

"What about your wife?"

"Astrid? Well she's tough. Stubborn, intelligent, supportive. She can be fierce if she needs to, doesn't take crap from anyone. Although, she's gotten a lot meaner in the past few months, though it's probably due to the fact that she's going to have a baby within the several weeks."

"She's pregnant? You're going to be a father?" Kenna couldn't help her excitement. Despite her experiences, news of a baby alway put her in a good mood.

"Yeah," he said, rubbing the back of his neck, but smiling, "I'm gonna be a Dad."

"That's great! Are you excited?"

"Honestly, I'm terrified."

"Why?" Kenna asked, full of concern.

He sighed, "I'm scared that something might go wrong. I was so small and I almost died several times. What if this one is too little or too early? Astrid is so tough, but what if something goes wrong with her? I need her by my side. What if I'm a bad father? My dad and I weren't exactly on the best of terms through pretty much all of my childhood. But mostly, I'm scared that I'm going to screw something up."

Kenna was shocked and touched by the honesty he just showed her. Not only did he admit that he was scared, but he was scared of his own abilities.

"You won't screw anything up," she assured him. "Babies are tough and resilient, it takes more than a few mistakes to really screw one up." Hiccup looked up at her. "I can assure that this baby will not be too small or too early. You said she's due within the next several weeks? He nodded. "Then the baby should be fine. That babe could come into the world today and be as healthy as could be."

"It's true," added Valka. "You were nearly two months early, that's why you were so small and frail, but I kept you warm, fed, and next to me at all times. You grew stronger each day."

"And as for Astrid, if she's as strong as you say she is, then you have absolutely nothing to worry about. If she hasn't shown any signs that raise concerns, she will be able to have this baby just fine. But if it will make you feel better, I could talk to her."

"How would that help?"

"I was trained as a midwife." Hiccup's eyes widened. "While I was the daughter of the chief, I couldn't be chief, and had to find an alternate option. My aunt was the village's midwife, so it just made sense to join her. I started helping and attending her patients right around twelve years old. I have delivered more babies than I can count, since our village was so large. Some did not go well, must the majority did. I really do know my way around a birthing room."

Hiccup blushed, "well, we have Gothi, but she isn't exactly a spring chicken, plus she doesn't speak. She just makes symbols in the dirt, none of which I can understand."

"Well, if you and Astrid want someone a bit younger to help out, my offer stands."

"Thank you."

As the sun crested midday and started lowering in the West, the island of New Berk came into view. A massive island with the village built atop staggering cliffs. Several of the dragons raced forward, eager to see their old companions. Moon and Kenna hung back as they watched the others race forward, her heart pounded with anxiety. She was nervous about joining these people, fitting into their village.

Valka and Cloudjumper flew with Kenna and Moon. "I know it's intimidating, coming some place new where you don't know anyone. If you'd like, we can head straight to my home, it is some ways away from the rest of the village. I prefer the quiet. You are most welcome to stay with me as well. I have an extra room. It is small, but the bed is comfortable and the furs are warm."

Kenna nodded and smiled nervously, "I would like that".

As they made their way over the center of the village, the sound of happy dragons and vikings filled the air. Tears were shed in joy as adults wrapped their arms around the friends they never thought they would see again. Dragons purred and roared, happy to see their companions. Children laughed as they rode on the backs of great beasts, not showing the tiniest bit of fear. Kenna couldn't contain her smile as they made their way to Valka's hut.


	8. Chapter 8: Homecoming

**CHAPTER EIGHT: HOMECOMING**

Hiccup

As Hiccup and the dragons approached the island, he could hear shouts coming from the village. They were not shouts of terror, but shouts of joy and happiness.

"It's the dragons. Hiccup has brought our dragons home!"

"The dragons are back!"

The shouts of general gladness soon changed into calls for specific dragons, terms of endearment, and praise.

"Come here, you great brute!"

"I've missed you so much!"

"Gimme a hug, big guy!"

Squawks, roars, growls, and chirps of joy from the dragons soon added to the din.

With a smile etched on his face, Hiccup landed in the center of the village, getting down from Toothless's back, and looking around at his people, their joy feeding his own elation.

From the corner of his eye, he barely had time to register a mass of blonde hair before he was attacked, hand grabbing the back of his neck and pulling him down. Hiccup reached is own hands out and wrapped his arms around the large midsection of his wife. She kissed him with abandon, not caring who saw, and he returned the affection enthusiastically.

"Hello milady," the chief said, a smirk on his face.

"Hey babe," Astrid said, her cheeks flushed from the exertion of running towards her husband. "I missed you."

"I missed you too," Hiccup said, resting his chin on her head, arms wrapped around her in a massive hug. "And I missed you too, little one," he added, caressing her belly with one large hand.

Their reunion was interrupted as Astrid was nudged from behind by a large head. "Stormfly!" she shouted, turning to give the blue Nadder a great hug. "I've missed you so much my good girl!"

Stormfly squawked in happiness, nipping at Astrid's hair for a moment before turning one large eye towards the woman's stomach. She looked for a moment, as if contemplating what she was seeing, but then rubbed up against it, caressing the bump with her large face, and chirping quietly.

"I guess someone just figured out there's a hatchling in there," Hiccup said with a smile.

Astrid stroked the dragon's horn and face, "That's right Stormfly, we're gonna have a baby."

Hiccup and Astrid turned, watching their friends and family be reunited with their beloved companions. Hiccup wrapped his arm around Astrid's shoulders and pressed a kiss to her temple. "I can't believe they're back," Astrid said in awe, "Why did you bring them?"

"There here to help us," Hiccup replied. "We've got a fight heading our way and we needed an army."

Astrid turned to face her husband, forehead furrowed in worry. "Why would we need an army?"

Hiccup sighed and whispered in her ear, "Drago is alive."

"WHAT?!" she hissed back. "I thought he was dead."

"So did I, but apparently he survived, and is now making his way here, for me."

Astrid's blue eyes met his green, the fear apparent on her face.

"I'll call a meeting tonight," he added, "Go over what I found out with the rest of the team. Then, we'll form a plan of attack."

"Alright," Astrid shrugged, I'll get the team together. When do you want them to meet?"

"Right away."

The riders sat a table in the Great Hall, their dragons resting close by. They were joined by Gobber as well. Valka had elected to stay with Kenna, stating that she needed to help get the young woman settled.

"So what's up H?" Tuffnut asked, leaning back in his chair with his feet propped up on the table. "What was so important that we needed to meet now?"

Hiccup took a deep breath. "Drago is alive and he's heading for New Berk."

Angry shouts erupted from his friends.

"You told us he was dead!"

"Why is he coming?"

Gobber interrupted the cacophony of shouts by slamming his stone hammer attachment onto the table.

"Be quiet, will yeh? I'm sure the lad has more to say than that." he stated firmly. He turned back to Hiccup, "We all thought he was dead. Why is he coming to New Berk?"

"I need to start at the beginning," Hiccup explained, "Toothless came in the middle of the night with Cloudjumper two days ago to get me and my mom. They took us back into the hidden world because they needed our help. There was a girl there. She's probably our age, and she was injured."

Around the table, eyes widened in shock. Snotlout went to say something, but Astrid shot him a look that quieted him immediately.

"She had a gash in her leg from a Nadder spine. It was poisoned and infected, and she was unconscious. Mom and I patched her up, and she took off. She was scared of us. We tried to leave, but Toothless wouldn't let us. Turns out, this girl had been living in the hidden world for eight years. Drago attacked her village and she fled. She told me that she found out Drago is alive and sailing for the dragons, or for me.

"What we saw last time was just a piece of what he had. He has entire armadas to the south, already stocked with dragons and weapons. Eret," he turned to the larger man, "did you hear about anything like this?"

"Yeah. We were just a faction of what he had. He had come from the South, with an entire fleet of ships already under his control. Tens of thousands of ships with tens of thousands of dragons. The entire South already belonged to him by the time he made up to me and my men. There was no use if fighting. If we wanted to survive, if we wanted our families to survive, we had to join him."

"So what do we do, Chief?" Astrid asked quietly.

"Tonight, we get some rest. Have a celebration. Tomorrow we can start planning."

"Are you sure we can wait? Drago is on his-" Snotlout started.

"We need to know exactly what he has on its way," Hiccup interrupted. " We need to wait for Kenna, get more information from her, find out what exactly we're up against."

"Chief?" Eret began, "Did you say Kenna?"

"Yeah. The girl that Toothless brought me to. Why, do you know her?" he asked.

"Tell me. Is she the daughter of a chief? Does she have bright red hair?" Eret asked, the words tumbling quickly.

"Yeah…"

"Oh my gods," Eret said, slumping in to his chair, his face pale with shock.

"Eret?" Hiccup asked, "do you know her?"

"More than that chief," he met the other man's eyes, "I loved her."


	9. Chapter 9: a New Look

**CHAPTER NINE: A NEW LOOK**

Kenna

Valka and Kenna landed just outside of Valka's home, which was a fair distance away from the rest of the village. It resided against the tree line, a little ways up the hill. A well-worn path near the hut lead from the main square of the village into the forest. After they dismounted, Kenna patted Moon on the head and had her go find Toothless.

"I figured we could get you cleaned up and into some new clothes," Valka said. She opened the door and invited Kenna in.

The inside of her home was warm and cozy. A stone hearth sat off to one side, it's fire long burned out. The main living space had a few oversized chairs, some with cushions. A large wood table was opposite the hearth, surrounded by four chairs, though another two could fit easily. In the back of the hut were two rooms, partitioned off by sturdy wooden doors. One held the main sleeping area, Kenna could see a bed, side table, and storage chest. The other room was smaller, it held a smaller bed, side table and storage chest.

As Kenna admired the carvings that decorated her home, Valka busied herself, preparing the spare room.

"I know it's not much," she said as she pulled a pillow and several fur blankets out her large storage chest and brought them into the spare room, setting them on the bed, "but you are welcome to stay as long as you need."

"Thank you so much," the young woman replied, "this is perfect."

"I figured now would be a good time to go up the hot springs and bathe while the rest of the village reunites with their dragons. There will be some sort of celebration tonight, and if you would like to go, you might want some clean clothes," she suggested.

"Actually a bath sounds perfect," Kenna said.

Valka smiled and grabbed a large towel as well as a bar of soap, "You can use the good soap," she added.

They walked outside and she led Kenna up the trail into the forest. Shortly, they came to a fork in the path and continued down the left path. They rounded a curve in the path and walked up to a large hot spring nestled against some large rocks. The spring was easily the length of four tall vikings, laid out end to end. Valka placed the towel and soap on a rocky ledge next to the bath. "I'll go find you some clothes. Take as long as you need."

Kenna smiled and nodded in thanks before turning back to the spring. Steam rose in lazy spirals from the water's surface. She removed her shirt and trousers, tossing them some distance away. They were dirty and covered in blood, not to mention their tattered condition. Once she had some new clothes, those could be thrown away. Hel, they could be burned for all she cared. Lastly, Kenna removed the bandage that had been covering her injury. She was relieved that her skin didn't stick to the fabric. The burn was still blistered, but there was no open wound or seepage. Kenna slowly lowered herself into the hot water, hissing a bit as the heat reached her damaged leg. It burned for a moment before fading into a dull ache. As the heat soaked into her stiff muscles, she felt herself relax. Even though there was a battle coming, Kenna let herself have a few minutes of relaxation.

She took a bit of time and explored the hot spring. There was a ledge around three-quarters of the bath, chiseled out of the bed rock, so that bathers had somewhere to sit. Kenna waded into the pool from where the water reached her waist to the middle where the water reached her shoulders. Kenna lifted her feet up and allowed herself to float, eyes turned up to the sky. The sun had began to set, casting everything in orange and pink. Tall pine trees reached up on all sides and gave the impression that she was in a protected grotto of some sort. Above, birds flew overhead, occasionally chased by a Terrible Terror a a hatchling. In the distance, she could faintly hear the sound of rushing water.

Kenna swam back to the edge and grabbed the bar of soap. It had a pleasant scent of lavender mixed with the clean smell of lye. she worked up a lather between her hands and massaged it into her hair. She combed the suds through the tangles and to the end of each strand. Kenna dipped her head under the water several times to remove the soap. It had been years since she had taken a proper bath, and she could still feel dirt and grime in her hair. Kenna washed it two more times before she was satisfied. Her red hair hung around my shoulders and over her breasts. The red that had once been muted from dirt once again shone like fire, although darkened by the water. She pulled the long strands over one shoulder and grabbed the soap again to lather her body. She used fistfulls of sand to scrub at her skin, leaving it soft and pink, before diving under the warm water one last time to rinse any remaining soap from her body before pulling herself out of the bath and onto the stone ledge. She used the towel Valka had provided to dry her skin, relishing in the feel of its softness against the sensitive skin. Once Kenna was dry, she wrapped the towel around her body and sat on a nearby boulder, her fingers combing out her hair as it dried.

As Kenna sat, Valka re-emerged from the path, some clothes in her hands. She smiled as she handed the younger woman a long shift and a pair of boots. "I have options back in your room, I figured you might at least want something clean to wear as we walked back."

"Thanks," Kenna replied, pulling the shift over her head and the boots on her feet. The shift was simple, but was well-made and soft.

Valka picked up the old clothes and they walked back down the path towards the village, Valka asked, "Did you enjoy your bath? I often find that a trip to the hot springs can do wonders for the body."

"I loved it," Kenna replied, smiling. "I haven't felt this clean in years!"

"Is your leg bothering you at all?"

"No. It stung a bit when I first got in, but it barely hurts at all now."

"That's good. We were a bit scared that the poison may have spread throughout your body, but that fear quickly vanished once you awoke. You scared Hiccup halfway to death!" she said with a laugh. "If you would like, we could still have our village elder take a look and make sure there is no infection."

"Probably not a bad idea," she agreed.

They rounded a bend in the path as Valka's house came into view, Cloudjumper sitting next to it, like a faithful hound. The pair made their way inside and Valka showed Kenna the clothes she had laid out on her bed.

"I asked of few of the girls that are around your size if they had any spare clothing. Astrid had quite a few items, since her pregnancy no longer allows her to fit in them. She also gave you some spare underthings."

"These are perfect," Kenna said as she picked up a pair of brown leggings.

Valka smiled and left the small room, closing the heavy wooden door behind her. Kenna pulled off the shift, carefully folding it and placing it in the chest. She dressed myself in the brown leggings, a purple short-sleeved tunic, a green thigh-length dress that she wore over her tunic and leggings, and it was all pulled together with a wide, dark leather belt, and dark brown boots.

Once she was dressed, Kenna opened the door to the main living space, where Valka was sitting and reading in one of the chairs in front of the hearth that had been re-lit. She looked up as she heard the younger woman enter and smiled fondly. "You have the most brilliant shade of hair. My late husband had red hair, but not nearly as bright as yours."

"Thank you. My father said my mother also had the reddest hair he'd ever seen. I just wish I could do something with it!" she said, combing it through her fingers over her shoulder.

"I would be happy to braid it for you," Valka suggested. "I always wanted a daughter so I could braid her hair, but with Hiccup being born so small and frail, we were advised to not have any more children."

Kenna nodded excitedly and Valka stood, offering her the chair in which she had been sitting. She went into her room and brought out a boar bristle brush as well as a bone comb. She gently lifted Kenna's hair over the back of the chair and began to comb out the remaining tangles. She worked her way from the ends all the way up to Kenna's scalp, never tugging as she gently removed each knot. Once she had finished combing it, she placed the comb on the table and picked up the brush. She pulled the brush through the red hair from root to tip. As she brushed with long, steady strokes, Kenna's hair dried even more in the warmth of the fire. The young woman enjoyed the feeling so much, that she closed her eyes and allowed herself to relax into sure touch of the older woman.

Once she was satisfied that Kenna's hair was groomed enough to hold up to styling, Valka placed the brush on the table next to the comb, and began partitioning sections, she made a few thin braids and pulled them off to the side, creating a larger, more complicated braid with the rest of the hair. As the braid grew, she pulled in sections of hair, including the small braids. The large braid began near the crown of Kenna's head and traveled along to the base of her skull, where she had tied it off with a leather strap. The rest of Kenna's hair fell loose in thick waves below. Small metal beads wrapped around some of the smaller braids as well as sections within the larger plait. Kenna ran her hands over the intricate style, touched that the older woman had done so much for her.

"I couldn't pull the rest of it up," she said, stepping back and admiring her work. "Your hair is just too beautiful to hide in a braid."

"Thank you so much."

"It was no trouble. Now you look ready for a feast."


	10. Chapter 10: Make them Wait

**CHAPTER TEN: MAKE THEM WAIT**

**This chapter contains strong language as well as graphic depictions of sexual acts, please skip if under 18 **

_Hiccup_

"He can't be back," Astrid said quietly, combing her hair as she stared absentmindedly at nothing.

"I couldn't believe it either," Hiccup walked over to his wife and kissed the top of her hair, "but I trust that Kenna wouldn't make something up. She has no reason to."

Astrid stood from her chair and faced her husband, "Why does this have to be your fight? We left Berk, there's no way he could find us."

"I have to defend New Berk, it's the promise I made to my dad. Besides, I would have thought you'd be excited for a good fight."

"Hiccup, it's not just Berk that needs you. I need you. _We _need you." She grabbed his hand and placed in on the swell of her stomach.

Hiccup sighed and pressed his forehead against her. "This is the reason I _have _to fight. We can't keep running. Drago will find us eventually. I need to protect _you_. I need to protect _this_. This goes beyond a chief protecting his people. I am fighting as a father to protect my family."

Astrid stared into his intense green eyes, seeing the determination in them. She realised that Hiccup fighting had very little to do with the rest of Berk. This was about her and their baby. He had to protect them. Coming to that understanding, Astrid crashed her lips into his, overcome with the need to feel him as close to her as possible. Her fingers wound into his hair and held him close as he wrapped his arms around her waist as much as her large belly allowed. She kissed him forcefully, her tongue licking at his own. Her teeth bit at his bottom lip. She moved backwards toward the bed, bringing Hiccup with her. When her legs touched the bed frame, she sat and lay herself back, her mouth never leaving his.

Hiccup pulled away, "Astrid…" he warned, "we are going to be late if we keep this up."

"So? You're the chief. Make them wait," she said, scooting herself further on to the bed.

Hiccup smirked a crooked smile at her and pulled his shirt over his head, grateful that he hadn't put on his leather armor yet. He crawled up the bed, knees between his wife's legs. He grabbed the back of Astrid's head with one hand and pulled her in for another frenzied kiss as his other hand moved to undo her laces on her leggings. One he had them unlaced, he sat back and pulled the off her. Astrid sat up and reached for his trousers, undoing the lacing of the leather, her breaths coming in rushed pants. With the final lace undone, she pushed them down his narrow hips and over his ass. He moved away just for a moment to remove his prosthetic leg and boot, before shoving his pants off and tossing them to the side. While Hiccup was taking care of that, Astrid had removed her long tunic and was unwrapping her breast bindings. When Hiccup turned his attention back to her, he pushed her hands out of the way. He attacked her neck with open-mouthed kisses, scraping his teeth up to her ear as he removed what was left of her bindings.

"Gods, woman," he moaned into her ear, "you are a horrible influence."

Astrid smirked, her head tipped back as Hiccup worked his way back down her neck and her shoulder. She was about to give him a witty response, but she instead let out a small Yelp as Hiccup's wrapped his lips around her nipple and sucked. She groaned in pleasure, threading her fingers into his russet hair, holding him against her breast as she arched her back into him. With her pregnancy, everything was far more sensitive, especially her breasts.

Hiccup sucked and gently bit at the swollen pink bud, growling in pleasure as he was rewarded a small burst of sweetness. His had discovered some months ago, that when during Astrid's pregnancy, if was was particularly aroused, sweet milk would drip from her breasts. Hiccup found it highly erotic and craved the sweet taste of her. With his weight resting on one elbow, he moved his other hand down. With his fingertips, he slowly traced up her leg from her knee to her center, avoiding her core. He repeated the action on her other leg. Astrid whined in need, the sound shooting straight to Hiccup's growing desire. He smirked against her chest and gave her nipple one last little bite before he moved to the other one, wrapping his lips around it. At the same moment he bit down gently, he brushed his finger against her swollen bundle of nerves. Astrid gasped and arched her back, clutching Hiccup's hair tighter, nearly to the point of pain. He moaned in response against her and began to stroke her as his mouth worked her pebbled nipple. He could feel how wet Astrid was, nearly dripping on to the bed below. His own need throbbed in answer. He brushed her clit gently with one finger, only applying gentle pressure. He moved slowly and deliberately, working her up, waiting for her to snap.

Astrid whined and moaned, writhing in want. Here eyes were close and her head was tilted back, gold hair surrounding her like a halo. Hiccup sat back and admired her, his green eyes dark with lust as he observed this Valkyrie come undone by his hands. Astrid's body gleamed with a light sheen of sweat, her hair dampened. Hiccup watched her intently as he pressed two long fingers inside of her and stroked along her upper wall, feeling for that tell-tale ridge. When he found it, he pressed firmly, his eyes never leaving her. Astrid's eyes shot open and she gasped loudly. She grasped the back of his head forcefully and pulled him to her mouth as her inner walls spasmed around his fingers. She kissed him sloppily, all teeth and moans as her body shook below him.

He worked her through her orgasm, fingers moving slowly, as her breathing began to slow. Hiccup placed soft kisses down her neck, across her shoulder, and over each breast. He paused at her stomach and rested his cheek again the firm skin there, before placing a tender kiss. He lightly followed the swell of her stomach with his lips until he was laying in front if her, his face level with her center. He left an open-mouthed kiss at the apex of each thigh, noticing how the supple muscle twitched. He nudged her damp curls with his nose. Astrid took a sharp breath and Hiccup felt her grip in his hair tighter slightly. He moved each of her legs over his shoulders and gripped her thighs tightly, then licked a firm stripe up her opening, moaning at the last of her. Astrid gasped loudly, and Hiccup felt the strong thighs tighten slightly. Again he dove in, his tongue probing inside of her, he nose brushing against her clit. Astrid keened, her other hand moving to massage at her breast. Hiccup moved his tongue faster, licking at her lips, before he latched onto to her clit and sucked. Astrid spasmed, her back arching for just a moment. Hiccup focused exclusively on her bundle of nerves, sucking on it, nibbling, and licking. He could taste her arousal and groaned, the vibrations making Astrid gasped and whined, trying to make words.

"Hic….ahh…..babe….please!" Her legs shook with the effort of being kept at the edge, Hiccup backing off before she came, but then applying more pressure and building her up again. He loved having her like this: a needy pool of desire, unable to think straight. His strong arms held her legs open ash she tried to close them. He sucked and nipped firmly at her clit, holding her body against his face, moaning and humming in want.

"Hiccup!" Astrid shouted, and he knew she was on the verge. Her legs shook with the effort of riding the edge for so long. He released her legs and pushed two fingers inside of her dripping core, his thumb pressing firmly on the swollen bundle of nerves. He bit this inside of her thigh and rested his face against her leg, to watch her come undone. As his thumb worked her clit, he curled his fingers and pushed against the ridge inside. Astrid's entire body tensed in ecstasy. Her eyes were shut tight, her mouth opened in a silent scream. She gripped his hair tightly, stinging his scalp. Hiccup watched her intently, his own breath coming in ragged pants. He didn't let up, moving his fingers firmly, drawing her orgasm out. She soaked his hand, her slick dripping onto the bed. He moaned against her thigh, completely in awe of his woman.

When her body slumped back against the bed, he softly stroked her a few more time before withdrawing his fingers. Astrid's grip on his hair relaxed and her hand fell to gently cup the side of his face. She panted softly, her eyes still closed, a soft smile on her face. His eyes never left her face, even as he gently kissed her palm and wrist. Her hair had been messed where she had thread her own fingers into the golden strands and gripped tightly. All across her forehead and chest was a light sheen of sweat, giving her the appearance of glowing in the candlelight. Hiccup watched her chest rise and fall, gradually slowing. She opened her eyes and looked down at him, pupils wide, but glinting with something darker as well. She bit her lower lip, watching him as he kissed up her arm and her shoulder. Hiccup felt himself throb, his own need and desire making itself painfully known. As Hiccup went to settle behind her on their sides, with amazing speed and grace, Astrid pushed him onto his back and straddled his lap. He sat up just a bit to place a kiss at the top of her stomach. Astrid cupped his face and pulled him up and in for another deep kiss. She gently pushed him back onto the pillow and grinned devilishly at him. He knew that she wanted to kiss down his body, but that simply wasn't an option with her large stomach. So instead, she gently ran her nails down his body, starting at his scalp. She raked her nails down his neck and over his collar-bone, before continuing down his chest, just catching his nipples. He felt his erection jump and his breath hitched. Astrid smirked knowingly and continued her path down his torso. She raised herself up on her knees and positioned him at her entrance, rubbing him through her slickness. Hiccup moaned in want, gripping her thighs tightly. With one fluid motion, she sank down on him, taking his length to the hilt. Hiccup moaned loudly and threw his head back into the pillow, eyes closed in bliss. It took almost all of his self control to not come on the spot.

Hiccup was acutely aware that Astrid had not moved. He opened his eyes to see Astrid watching him darkly. His breath caught at her appearance. Her pale skin was flushed pink and shone in the candlelight. Her lips were plump and reddened, both from their aggressive kissing and from her own teeth. Her nipples pebbled and dark from the attention Hiccup had given them. She had a dark spot on her collar-bone, where he had bitten her and pulled the blood to the surface. Her hair cascaded down her back in soft curls, illuminated by the candles behind her. She appeared to be glowing, but her eyes were dark with desire. She pulled her bottom lip between her teeth again, pleased that he was watching, and she began to move. Astrid braced her hands on either side of Hiccup's chest, using him as leverage to rock her hips up and down his length.

She started slowly, raising herself up so that he was barely inside her, before lowering herself down again. She gradually picked up speed, changing the depth and speed of her movements. As she started to grind her pelvis against his, Hiccup moaned and closed his eyes again, dizzy with wanten need. Astrid grabbed his neck behind his ear;

"Babe, I want you to watch," she purred, her voice low and seductive.

Hiccup opened his eyes. Astrid caressed his bottom lip with her thumb. Eyes never leaving hers, he pulled her thumb into his mouth, biting gently. Astrid gasped quietly, the corners of her mouth raising in carnal amusement. Hiccup winked playfully and licked her thumb once more as she trailed it over his lip.

Astrid sat back further, removing her hands from his chest. She raised her hands to her breasts and massaged them, her head thrown back in ecstasy. Hiccup gripped her thighs tighter, overwhelmed by the sight and feel of her. His mouth was slack, breaths coming in ragged pants. As Astrid massaged her breasts and pinched her nipples, Hiccup looked down to where their bodies were joined. He watched as she lowered herself onto his hardness again and again. He could see her glistening wetness covering him, and he dug his fingertips into her supple flesh, certain there would be bruises there tomorrow.

Astrid was practically bouncing on his cock, grinding against him each time she impaled herself in him. Her hands were everywhere; in her hair, on her chest, her belly, grasping at her neck, pinching her swollen nipples. Her eyes were closed, her mouth open slightly, moaning and whining with each gasp.

"Gods, Hiccup. You feel so good," she gasped. "Ah..Babe...Mm."

He was so close. Watching her ride him, moaning desperately, her hands everywhere. He thrust up into her slightly and she cried out, leaning back and resting her hands on his legs behind her.

"Gods," Hiccup moaned, feeling the beginnings of her orgasm, her slick heat starting to tighten. He continued to thrust into her, watching as she teetered on the edge of oblivion. He let go with one hand and thrust it between her legs, rolling her swollen clit between his fingers. He rubbed it for a few moments as he snapped his hips up into hers. Astrid swore loudly, her body tensing as she clenched around him.

"Fuck fuck fuck! Hic-Hiccup!" He worked her through her orgasm. Her legs shook and she gripped his arms tightly. The feeling of her squeezing around his length drove Hiccup to his own end.

"Astrid!" he choked out, his heart racing. He tensed as he pulled her down tight. His hips stuttered as he poured himself into her, his vision going black for a moment.

As Hiccup slowly came back from Valhalla, Astrid and fallen over and laid next to him. Both were breathing in quick pants with their eyes closed. Once Hiccup's breathing has slowed to a normal rate, he looked at his wife. Her eyebrows were furrowed and her eyes shut tight as she tried to will her breathing to slow. He reached out with one hand and gently caressed her cheek. She opened her eyes and smiled at him, nuzzling his hand. He looked at her with adoration and awe.

"Told you we were gonna be late," he teased, smiling at Astrid.

"You really seem broken up about it," she replied, sitting up.

"Low blow! You know that my focus is to my people!" he joked.

"True, but the rest of the village doesn't join you in bed." She stood up and gathered her clothes.

Hiccup shuddered. "Ugh. Snotlout or Gobber in bed? No thanks."

Astrid laughed. "I'm sure they'll understand."

Hiccup sat up and reattached his prosthetic before standing and gathering his clothes. Astrid had already pulled on her leggings and was binding her breasts as Hiccup started to get dressed. He thought about how much he would rather spend all day in bed with Astrid instead of going to a feast. He watched her as she got ready. She pulled on her tunic and sat down, running a brush through her hair. Hiccup walked over to her and took the brush out of her hand and dragged it down her long gold locks. He loved Astrid's hair. He loved the way it felt slipping through his fingers, or wrapped around his hands. He loved how it created a gold curtain when Astrid hovered above him, her face inches from his. He loved the way it glowed, especially in the firelight. He sketched it frequently, the way it blew in the wind, or cascaded over one naked shoulder, or how it clung to her forehead after lovemaking.

Once Astrid was satisfied her hair was free of tangles, she took the brush from Hiccup and set it down. Then she began braiding her hair, pulling in sections and adding them to her braid.

"You're staring, Haddock," she chastised, looking over her shoulder at Hiccup. He blinked, realizing that he had been staring, watching her fingers as they wove the flaxen strands into a complex braid. When she was done, she tied the braid off with a small strip of leather, and then affixed her kransen across her forehead.

Hiccup picked up his mantle, and reached up for the pins, when a smaller, more slender hand stopped him. Astrid used the two bronze disks to attach the fur cloak to his leather vest, smoothing the shoulders when she was done. He smiled at her, and she gave him a sly smile in return. He went and picked up her white fur, bring it back. He used the bronze pins to fix her cloak to her tunic, being careful to not prick her skin or damage the fabric. When he was done, he cupped her face and pulled her in for a gentle kiss, feeling Astrid place her hand on his chest.

"Well," he said, "we shouldn't keep the village waiting."

"We could," Astrid suggested, the corner of her mouth raised in a smirk.

He laughed, and taking her hand in his, the two left their home and made their way to the Great Hall.


	11. Chapter 11: Fear and Delight

**CHAPTER ELEVEN: FEAR AND DELIGHT**

Kenna

Valka and Kenna left Valka's home and made their way to the Great Hall. As they followed the path between houses, more people and their dragons began to join them. Many said hello to Valka, looking at the younger woman with a confused expression before nodding their head curtly in acknowledgement. Cloudjumper followed behind, occasionally receiving a greeting or a chin scratch himself.

Kenna could feel her anxiety growing in her chest as they approached the center of the village. She could feel many eyes on her, certainly curious as to her identity. With those glances, IKenna could hear the whispers, questions of who she was and what she was doing here. She felt more alone surrounded by people than she ever did in my solitude. Kenna's heartbeat increased, banging against her chest. Her throat felt tight, and she had a very strong urge to run. As the Great Hall came into view, Kenna paused, stopping in her tracks.

Valka placed a hand on the young woman's shoulder and looked at her, concern in her eyes. "Are you alright, Kenna?"

"I don't know," she answered, her voice shaky and fearful. "I feel like everyone is staring at me. I don't belong here."

"Hush," she murmured quietly, pulling the scared young woman away from the center of the plaza, "don't you worry about anyone else here. Berkians are a curious bunch, and gossip is what passes for entertainment here."

Kenna nodded, but her throat was still tight.

"Besides," she added, "you are here as a guest of the chief, and as a friend. No one would dare purposefully make you uncomfortable."

She nodded and let out a deep sigh, attempting to calm her nerves. "Could we wait just a few moments more before going inside?"

"Of course, dear."

Kenna sat down on a nearby bench and observed the plaza and the crowd that filled it. Everywhere, people were laughing and smiling, arms clasped around each other's shoulder in joy. The dragons followed their companions, as if they had never left. Children road on the backs of the dragons into the Great Hall.

Across the clearing, Kenna saw Hiccup and a blond woman, who she assumed was his wife, head for the large doors, joined by Toothless and Moon. He was smiling and laughing, greeting vikings who stopped to thank him for returning their friends. He was crushed by one particularly large man who picked him up in a great bear hug, laughing as he was set down. She saw him scanning the crowd and he paused when he saw Valka and herself. His head tilted a bit to the side, and his eyebrows furrowed in question. Valka nodded and waved him in. He shrugged, turned, and taking the blond woman's hand with Toothless behind him, entered the hall.

Valk turned to Kenna and asked, "are you ready, or would you like a bit more time?"

Kenna looked at her and smiled softly. Her fear had abated some, and while she was still nervous, the urge to flee had died. Her hand was suddenly nudged by a warm nose. She looked down to see Moon, her great blue eyes turned to Kenna in concern. She smiled at the affection, and rubbed her head before turning back to Valka, "as I'll ever be. Let's go."

They stood and joined the crowd that was entering the meeting space. As she looked up at the great doors and ornate carvings, she heard a muffled voice shouting her name.

"Kenna! Kenna!"

She turned, looking over her shoulder. The only people who knew her by name were Hiccup and Valka, neither of which were behind her. At the same time, that voice sound familiar, like home. Kenna gazed through the crowd, curious who had called her name. From between massive shoulders and horned helmets, a head of black hair and a tattooed chin appeared.

"Eret?" she whispered, in disbelief.

"Kenna!" he shouted again, pushing his way past vikings and dragons, trying to get to her.

"Eret!" Kenna gasped, running toward him, feeling like a salmon swimming upstream against the throng of vikings. Her heart pounded in her chest, tears stung her eyes as she fought her way to get to him. She ignored the disgruntled shouts of the people she pushed out of the way, her only thought on getting to Eret.

She was concerned when she lost sight of him, scared that they had somehow missed each other, when she ran into a solid mass. Large hands gripped her shoulders and she looked up to find kind brown eyes, crinkled in happiness, a large smile across his face.

"Hi," he said in a casual tone, "fancy meeting you here."

The laughter that escaped her was soon overtaken by tears of relief. Kenna had thought that she had lost him forever, knowing that Drago would have lashed out after she escaped. She assumed he was dead, and to have him here in front of her, the wall that she had built inside of herself to keep the sadness, loneliness, and fear at bay had crumbled the instant he touched her.

Strong arms encircled Kenna's waist, lifting her up in a great hug. She wrapped my arms around his neck and sobbed into his shoulder.

"Hush love,"he murmured into my ear. "It's alright, I've got you, Kenna. I'm here."

"I thought I lost you," she whimpered into his neck.

He pulled Kenna away from him and set her down in front of him. One large, calloused hand gripped her chin between his thumb and forefinger. Brown eyes gazing into her own amber ones. "And I, you," he whispered as he pulled her lips up to meet his own.

Soft lips traced against Kenna's as strong arms wrapped around her and held her close. In an instant, everything was right with the world again. The two were oblivious to the crowd around them, staring in disbelief. Eret stroked her cheek with his thumb as his tongue brushed her lower lip. She opened her mouth slightly, letting him in as her arms rested on his shoulders. There was nothing rushed or frantic about this kiss. It was tenderness, love, and a promise of protection. They had both experienced so much pain, loss, and heartbreak, but all that mattered now was that they were together again. Kenna's stomach fluttered and her mind felt fuzzy, the only thing that mattered was Eret. Her legs grew weak and she was thankful for his secure arms around her.

The two lovers pulled apart, becoming painfully aware of the cheering that had erupted around them. The vikings around them had stopped and were now staring and clapping. Many of the men were whistling and shouting at Eret, either words of praise and admiration, or jests at his expense. With his arm around Kenna's shoulder, she buried my face in his chest, embarrassment turning her face a vivid shade of pink.

"Haven't you lot got something better to do?!" he shouted, teasing the crowd. They mumbled before making their way back towards their original destination.

As Eret encouraged Kenna to follow, she glanced up at him, noticing his tips of his ears were also reddened. She reached out for Moon, who hadn't left my side the entire time, her head brushing against Kenna's fingers. Eret was joined by Skullcrusher, who nudged the man affectionately, before the four of them entered the Great Hall, together.


	12. Chapter 12: a Warm Welcome

**CHAPTER TWELVE: A WARM WELCOME**

Kenna

They entered the Great Hall and Kenna was overwhelmed by its grandeur. It was a massive structure, that easily seated the entire population of Berk and their dragons. Several large beams lined the center of the building, each far too large for her to wrap her arms around and all ornately carved. Along the walls were massive tapestries depicting Berk's history. She recognized the images of Hiccup and Toothless, as well as some of Astrid and Stormfly, as well as the other dragons and individuals she assumed were their riders. There was a tapestry depicting Hiccup defeating the dragon queen he mentioned before they had left the Hidden World. It showed a massive dragon, with three pairs of eyes, facing down Hiccup and Toothless as the people below watched in horror. The boy and his dragon were dwarfed by the immense dragon. Another tapestry showed Toothless radiating blue, Hiccup atop him, staring down the massive Bewilderbeast that now resided with the other dragons. Another tapestry showed a village burning. Kenna assumed that it was the original Berk, their home for generations. Her heart panged with a sympathetic feeling of loss. Another showed this island's discovery, dragons flocking to its steep cliffs. Yet another tapestry depicted the dragons leaving, the entire village standing on a cliff as the dragons flew away, toward the setting sun. The final tapestry depicted Hiccup and Astrid in their wedding clothes, flower crowns on their heads, standing hand in hand in front of the giant statue of a man I had seen in the village square just moments ago.

Eret led Kenna to the front of the Great Hall, where a large table was adorned with boar, venison, fish, chicken, roasted vegetables, fresh bread, and a variety of other dishes. In the center of the table, Hiccup stood with Astrid, Toothless and Stormfly beside them. Eret and Kenna sat down at the large table, next to Valka.

"Berk!" Hiccup shouted, attempting to get the large crowd's attention. "People of Berk!" Still the crowd continued speaking. Hiccup sighed, a look of defeat flashing across his face.

"Hey muttonheads, listen up!" shouted the chieftess. Her voice carried through the hall, and almost instantly, the voices stopped. Hiccup rolled his eyes slightly before stepping up on the bench, putting him high enough for everyone to see.

"Tonight, we feast because our dragons have come home!" Applause erupted and Hiccup held up his hands to quiet the crowd. "I am just excited as the rest of you. I know we've all missed them, so I figured we would want to celebrate with them. I don't know if they are staying, or for how long, so we need to make the most of the time we have with them. They are here to help us in an upcoming challenge, but I will save that for another day. Tonight, let's enjoy their company." Again, cheers broke out throughout the room. "I also called for this celebration to celebrate a newcomer," he gestured to Kenna. She stood, feeling hundreds of eyes on her. She felt the whisper that started in the front a passed like a wave to the back. "Kenna is the one who brought your dragons home, I just tagged along for the ride." An overwhelming cheer erupted and she blushed furiously, the heat burning her cheeks. "Please make her feel welcome here. Well, that's it. Let's eat!"

There was another round of thunderous applause that faded into the rumble of a large crowd talking and laughing as everyone took their seats and began to eat. Kenna grabbed a piece of bread and began to eat as a short but burly man shoved his way between Eret and herself.

"So," he started with an air of arrogance, "you're Kenna. Hiccup didn't mention how beautiful you are." He waggled his eyebrows and blew a kiss at her. She raised her eyebrows and shot a glance at Eret, who was now seated behind this shorter man.

"He's harmless," Eret said with a shrug.

"Shut it pretty boy!" the austentatious man said, "She's only interested in real men." He flexed his arm, winking at her.

Kenna leaned in, and looked at him seductively. "Well…" she paused, waiting for him to tell her his name.

"Ughh...Snotlout."

"Well, Snotlout, you're right. I am only interested in real men."

Snotlout blinked repeatedly, completely entranced.

"Do you know where I could find one?"

The look of absolute shock on his face had Eret and Kenna both laughing loudly. He was too easy, too simple. Playing a simple joke to exploit his overconfidence had been highly entertaining. Hiccup and Astrid were laughing, since they had witnessed the entire conversation. Even Valka chuckled quietly.

Snotlout stood up from the bench had stalked away, shoulders hunched.

Kenna turned her attention back to the food, please with herself.

"Nicely done," the blond chieftess complemented. "Not everyone can leave Snotlout speechless."

Kenna nodded in thanks, her mouth full of delicious food.

"Astrid," she said, extending her arm across the table. Kenna grasped it in greeting.

"Kenna."

She looked the newcomer up and down, as if measuring her worth. Astrid had shockingly blue eyes, that seemed steely and cold at first, but twinkled with a playfulness that was reflected in Hiccup's own green eyes. While clearly pregnant, she was a petite woman, and her stomach matched her stature. She still maintained a sense of grace, even with the added weight of her unborn baby, not waddling like other women at her point in the pregnancy tended to do. Her eyes flashed to both Hiccup and Eret, as if silently asking their opinion. Satisfied with the answers she apparently received, she relaxed slightly and gestured to Eret.

"So, you two have history,"she said to Kenna, clearly hoping she would share the story.

Kenna nodded as Eret wrapped his arm around her waist. "We were betrothed for a little over a year before.." she paused, unsure of how to proceed. She didn't think that this was the place to discuss Drago. "...before I left."

"It sounds silly, but I knew I loved her when we were children," Eret continued. "We grew up together and I was always amazed by her strength, her fire, and her kindness." Kenna rolled her eyes at the overly-romantic statement.

"Really!" he said with a smile. "I remember the exact moment I told myself that I was going to marry you. We were maybe thirteen. And Uffe and the other boys were teasing you, claiming you weren't strong enough to play fight with them because you were a girl. You didn't bat an eye or even acknowledge their teasing. You just grabbed the sword out of Uffe's hands and disarmed all of them!"

Kenna smiled at the memory. Not only had she disarmed them, she had sent all six of them running home, crying.

Astrid laughed quietly. "Ok, Kenna, you HAVE to show me what you've got."

The red-haired woman smiled, happy that she was making a connection with Astrid. "Alright."

They ate until we couldn't take another bite. Kenna's mind buzzed slightly from the wine and mead that had been provided. At some point, most of the tables had been pushed to the edges of the Great Hall, and a band of musicians had begun to play. Vikings of all ages danced and clapped with the music, while others sang loudly.

Hiccup, Astrid, Eret and Kenna sat off to the side, watching the festivities. Kenna rested my head on Eret's shoulder, smiling as he hummed along. S had been introduced to the rest of the dragon riders, many of whom were on the dance floor. Ruffnut and Tuffnut were performing some sort of strange interpretive dance, waving their arms in the air and kicking their legs wildly. Snotlout was currently dancing with Valka. She was patient with him, especially since he was so drunk. She continued trying to politely escape, but the young brute would just pull her back in. The large blond man named Fishlegs was dancing with his dragon, Meatlug. She spun and bounced, her tongue lolling out of her mouth. Hiccup had his arm around Astrid and was whispering in her ear with a smirk on his face. She would laugh and swat his arm playfully, before he would grab her hand and kiss it tenderly. The two were clearly not only in love, but passionate partners, unafraid to display their affection for each other.

Without warning, Eret stood up and held his hands out to his woman. "Dance with me," he said with a smile.

"You're ridiculous," Kenna said, smiling back. He said nothing in reply, but stretched his hands out further and raised one eyebrow. Shaking her head at his antics, she placed her hands in his and stood up. He pulled her into the center of the room and spun her in a slow circle. They started by facing each other and raising their arms, crossing them as they walked in a circle, then repeated the motion in the opposite direction. They wrapped their right arms around each other's waist, and with the other raised, circled each other again in one direction and the opposite. As the music sped up, so did their movements. They skipped and spun around each other, clapping along with the music. Kenna couldn't help the massive smile on her face as Eret grabbed her waist and lifted her high in the air, spinning around. The song ended with his arms around her, their eyes staring into each other's, and their breathing rapid.

Kenna felt light-headed. Perhaps it was the mead and wine, or the activity, or the rush of so many emotions. She needed air, and this room was too warm, too crowded. She jerked my head in the direction of the door.

"Want to get some air?" Kenna asked her love.

He nodded and grabbed her hand, leading her from the music and the crowd and into the cool night air.


	13. Chapter 13: Her Story

_Kenna_

Eret and Kenna walked through the village in relative silence, just enjoying being together again. His hand encircled hers, his thumb occasionally brushing against her thumb or her palm. Moon and Skullcrusher followed the pair, ever watchful over their human companions.

They paused at the edge of a cliff, watching the moon's light ripple off of the waves below. Eret turned to her and cupped her cheek in his palm.

"Kenna, are you alright?" he asked, eyebrows furrowed in concern.

The young woman sighed before answering. "I'm alright. It's just been a lot to take in over the past few days; leaving my home for the past eight years, coming to an entirely new place with new people, finding you, not to mention the fact that the man who ruined my life is alive and threatening everything I love. Again!"

He pulled her into a warm embrace and rested his chin on her head. "There's somewhere I want to show you," he said, pulling her away from the cliff and toward the center of the island.

They passed the remaining houses on the outskirts of the establishment, and followed a path deep into the woods. The path was narrow and twisted and turned with the flow of the land. It was more of a game trail than a path made for humans. They passed great pine trees, their pointed tops reaching high into the air. At one point during their walk, they followed a clear river, walking along its banks. It babbled as the water flowed over rocks and logs. When the path split from the river, they followed it around a large hill, and down to a small lake The river dumped into the lake as a small waterfall, splashing loudly as the water tumbled down. Though they were some distance from the falls, Kenna could still feel the mist from it landing on her skin. The combination of the breeze and the mist cooled her heated skin.

The pair sat down on a large moss-covered boulder, the dragons settling in the woods some distance behind them. His thumb traced along the back of her hand, and she found it gentle and comforting. Kenna sensed that he wanted to ask her something, but he was clearly too nervous to do so.

"Eret, what's wrong?" she prompted.

"I guess," he started nervously, "were your really pregnant or was it a ploy by Drago?

Kenna paused and looked into his eyes. "I really was pregnant."

His shoulders slumped and he exhaled quickly. She understood why this hurt him. They were supposed to have gotten married. The two loved each other, and they were both very possessive of one another, especially in their youth. Not only was he upset about Kenna's marriage to someone else, but someone else had shared her bed and her body. And as far as Eret knew, she had given them the greatest gift she could give, a child.

He sat in silence for a moment before he started again. "What happened?" he asked quietly.

Kenna sighed and leaned back on her hands, looking up at the stars. She knew he would ask. There was so much that they had missed. Things were left unsaid, questions unanswered, when Kenna vanished all those years ago.

"I panicked," she said. "When I found out I was with child, I knew I had given him what he wanted. And when he killed my father, I knew he had no need for me other than to produce an heir. I knew that if that child had been a boy, he would have killed me, or given me to his men. If the baby had been a girl, she would have been killed, and I couldn't bear that pain. I left. I took a boat, and in the middle of the night, I left. I had lost so much, and I knew that if I stayed, I could lose so much more. It was cowardly to run, but I was young, and I had just lost my father, and I was scared. I didn't know what else to do. I had no one to turn to, so I ran."

"You had me," he said, his voice almost a whisper.

Kenna looked up at him. He was looking away from her, brown eyes downcast with heartbreak. She cupped his cheek with her hand and turned his face toward hers.

"If Drago had known what you were, and still are, to me, he would have killed or tortured you. I couldn't bear that grief. I had to protect you," she told him, her voice soft.

Eret placed his hand over hers and leaned in for a soft kiss, then rested his forehead against hers.

"He told us you had died. That the babe had been lost and it took you with him." He paused, eyes shining with tears at the memory. "I lost control when he told us, and I attacked him. Managed to get a couple of solid punches in before I was pulled off, and given this as punishment." He turned and lifted he vest and tunic. Scars were scattered across his back. Kenna ran her fingers over each one. Clearly, he had been lashed for the trouble he had given Drago. There were twenty in all, some small and thin, others raised and as wide as her thumb. She felt her eyes sting with tears. He lowered his vest and turned back to her, taking her hands in his. "His men beat me within an inch of my life, and then he gave me twenty lashes, and left me in the brig." Tears welled in Kenna's eyes and fell down her cheeks. This was her fault. If she had never left, Eret would never have been tortured like that.

"Hush love," he said, pulling her onto his lap and holding her in his arms, "none of that matters now. What happened is in the past, and you're here now. That's all that matters. I would let him whip me a thousand times over, and cover every inch of my skin in scars, knowing that eventually it would lead me back to you." He stroked her hair with one large, callused hand.

Kenna wasn't sure how long they sat like that, with his arms wrapped around her. It could have been an hour, or it could have been just a few minutes. She felt safe in his arms, almost as if the past had never happened. But it did, and he deserved to know the truth.

"When I took the boat," she said, her ear still resting against his chest, "I didn't have a destination in mind. I just sailed West. I had very little food and just the clothes I was wearing. I sailed for three nights, completely lost, before I got caught in a massive storm. I had no way to control the boat, you know I'm not a skilled sailor. Water flooded the deck with each wave, washing my food overboard. The wind snapped the mast, so I just held on for dear life. I don't know how long I was trapped in the storm, it could have been one night, or two days, it was so dark that I had no way to tell time. I must have fallen asleep when it let up, because one morning, I woke up, sprawled on a rock at the edge of a massive waterfall, with only a few pieces of wood. Eret, I don't know if you've seen the entrance to the Hidden World, but it's amazing. In the middle of the ocean, there is an enormous opening, and the water pours into, the mist creating massive rainbows. It was like standing at the edge of the world."

Eret smiled at her fondly, his eyes warm and affectionate. "I've never seen it, but Hiccup told me all about it. What a sight it must be."

"I wasn't there long," she continued, "Moon found me. I didn't see her at first, since she can camouflage herself, but she glided out of the mist and landed on the rock next to me. For some reason, I wasn't scared. Her scales glittered in the sunlight. I know she looks white, but she shines with shades of pink in blue. Here eyes were wide and curious, and she walked right up to me, sniffed my hand, and purred. She sat with me for a while and let me pet her, before she lowered herself to the ground and lowered her wing. I knew she wanted my to get on her back, so I did. Next thing I knew, we were flying into the mist."

Kenna could still recall the feeling of that first flight. For the first time in months, she had felt free. Moon's scales had been warm under her fingers and the mist was cool on her face.

Kenna continued, "Where she lives was like nothing I'd ever seen. There were massive stone pillars that glowed pink, yellow eggs that were like glass, and everything glowed. Moon has a pattern that is faint in the daylight, but in this amazing world, it glowed a bright pale blue. And there were dragons everywhere! Massive Timberjacks and Scauldrons, swarms of Fireworms. And all in colors I've never seen. Eret, it was absolutely amazing."

She had pulled away from him while she spoke, her arms gesturing wildly, but at this point she looked up at him and paused. His eyebrows were raised and he grinned with amusement. She could see the crinkles at the corners of his eyes that only appeared when he smiled broadly.

"What?" she asked.

"Nothing," he said, shaking his head, "I've just never seen you so passionate about anything. Please, tell me more."

Kenna could feel her cheeks warm with a slight blush as she nodded and continued her story. "Anyway, Moon brought me to a cave. I knew it was where she intended for me to stay. It wasn't much, big enough for me, a small fire, and her. It was somewhere I could call home, so I stayed.

"Those first few months were rough. I had Moon to keep me company, but the other dragons would chase me away. Humans didn't belong there. But as Drago's power grew, more and more dragons would come back injured. Their wings would be torn from razor wire, or their feet would be crushed from the traps, or they would be exhausted from fighting to escape. I had to help them. With Moon's help, I was able to treat those individuals who needed it. I had found purpose."

Eret looked at her guiltily. "I trapped dragons for him," he said, "in worse ways than my father and his father did. We used harpoons, arrows, whatever we needed. If we didn't meet our quota, Drago threatened us." He pulled his shirt aside, showing his chest and a large brand. Kenna recognized it as Drago's sigil. She had seen it on his ships, his officers, and even branded into the softer flesh of some dragons.

She touched it lightly. "He branded you?" Her voice was soft, yet filled with shock.

"That was for coming back from a hunt empty-handed," Eret said, "He told be he would be less forgiving the future. I never came back without anything again."

They sat in silence for a moment or two, unsure of what to say next. Kenna filled the silence. "I lost the baby," she said, her voice almost a whisper. "I thought about ending it myself, but I couldn't bring myself to harm it. It was innocent. But at the same time, I was relieved when it happened."

Eret pulled her close and kissed the top of her hair. "You should never have had to deal with that on your own. I could have been with you," he murmured.

"I thought you were dead," Kenna told him. "I couldn't go home to my aunt. I was scared he would find me again." Kenna's head snapped up, and she looked at Eret, her eyes questioning. "My aunt, is she-?"

"She's alive," Eret assured her. "She's still living in the village, with what's left of our people. After Hiccup and Toothless defeated Drago, a fair amount of the men he had taken returned home, to their families. But without a chief, they weren't comfortable staying, so they left. Many travelled South and made a home in another nation. A few of my men brought their families here, though they prefer to stay on the outskirts."

Kenna's face relaxed as she was flooded with relief. "Thank Thor," she said, breathless.

"Kenna," Eret said softly, and she turned back to him, "after you left, I went mad with the grief. I was completely lost without you. And Drago exploited that. He broke me. I served him to save my own hide. I'm so sorry."

Kenna could see the tears in his eyes, and she reached up a hand to caress his cheek. "You did what you had to do to survive, same as me," she said. "But all that matters now is _this_." She placed her hand on his heart. "We are both here, and we are together."


	14. Chapter 14: Battle Plan

CHAPTER FOURTEEN: BATTLE PLAN

_Kenna_

The next morning came too early and too bright for most of the population of New Berk, but Kenna was up early. She had been unable to sleep, too preoccupied with the looming threat of attack. She had called Moon quietly, so she didn't wake any slumbering vikings or dragons, and the two had flown through the chilly dawn air to watch the sun rise. They had flowin the highest point of the island, where they landed. Kenna was leaning against Moon with her feet dangling off the high cliff. The two watched the sky turn from dark blue, to purple, to pink just before the sun came up, and then brightened into a warm orange as the sun rose in the sky.

She had returned to Valka's very late into the night, only a few hours before she woke. She and Eret had shared their experiences over the past year, and it left Kenna feeling conflicted. She felt overwhelming amounts of guilt for leaving without telling Eret, thinking she was protecting him, but had instead subjected him to torture at the hands of Drago and his men. Her heart tightened when he showed her his scars' the deep gashes across his back from a lashing he had received for attacking Drago after she left, the brand left on his chest from returning empty-handed on a dragon-trapping mission, as well as several other scars that he had received from frightened dragons or the weaponry used to capture them. He had told her not to worry, that it was in the past, but Kenna feared for him all the same. Drago was coming for a fight, to get revenge, and both Eret and Kenna, as well as Hiccup had wronged him.

Despite her feelings of guilt and sorrow about all that had happened over the past eight years, Kenna also felt a great happiness. Those most important to her had survived, and now they had the possibility to be a real family. There was an innocence she shared with Eret, similar to the feelings that they had experienced when they were younger. Hope for the future, but also a nervousness to reconnect. It left her feeling giddy and warm, despite the crisp morning air.

Eret had walked her back to Valka's cabin, where he had kissed her tenderly, said 'I love you,' and turned for his own home.

She sighed and laid down on the ground, next to Moon, who looked at her with bright blue eyes, head cocked to the side.

"I want to be with him, girl," she said to her friend, "I want to marry him. I want to have a family. But I'm scared. Scared what Drago could still do. Scared to have hope. I love him so much, but I couldn't bear losing him again."

The white dragon's ears perked up and she stood, looking behind her.

"What is it?" asked Kenna.

Over the cliff came the black shadow of a Night Fury and his rider. They landed on the rock face near Kenna and Moon, and Hiccup dismounted.

"Looks like you had the same idea as me," the young chief said, his eyes glittering with excitement. "Early morning ride?"

"I needed to clear my head," Kenna replied as the alpha and his mate rubbed against each other in affection.

Hiccup sat down next to her and dangled his legs over the edge as well. But where Kenna had been observing the horizon, Hiccup's eyes went to the village below.

"It's a lot to take in," he said quietly. "The idea that Drago's alive and even more dangerous. He nearly destroyed my village before. I can't imagine what he'll try to this time."

"I get it," Kenna said. "I thought I was free of him, but I'm not. And it's not just us, Hiccup, it's the dragons. He's coming for them and I don't know where he'll go first."

"That's actually why I came up here," he said. "I called a meeting with the dragon riders to form a battle plan. We need you to come tell us what we're up against, so that we can protect Berk AND the Hidden World."

The two mounted their dragons and flew down to the Great Hall, where the rest of the riders and their dragons had gathered. The two entered the hall, and sat down where the rest of the riders were seated.

Astrid nodded to Kenna, "Morning," she said with a slight smile. Kenna nodded in response.

"Alright guys," Hiccup began, "I told you that Drago is alive and that he could be coming here, so we need to form a battle plan. Kenna informed me that his main goal is the Hidden World, to either take the dragons or to eliminate them. He also has a grudge out for me and Toothless. We need to make sure that we aren't caught unprepared again. Not like last time. Kenna, what are we up against and how long do we have?"

Kenna took in a deep breath and collected her thoughts.

"Drago's ultimate goal is to get to the Hidden World," she began. "I don't know if he plans to control the dragons there, or destroy them. That was always his plan. To control the dragons, to make him the ultimate ruler. When he was defeated, I thought that things would quiet down, but as all of you know, others just stepped into his place or continued his mission. I know that you destroyed a sizeable fleet a few years ago. But that's just a small portion of what he has. There were others spread across the world, capturing dragons and burning entire cities. His entire armada is planning an attack on the Hidden World. One one of my night raids, I overheard that they were planning to leave around the summer solstice."

"That's only a moon away!" Fishlegs squeaked.

"I know it doesn't give us a lot of time, but I think we can come up with a plan to stop it all. I know what he has available. I've seen it. The challenging part is setting up defenses here AND at the Hidden World. You have the cliffs here, which will help, but if he knows where the Hidden World is, that is going to be a massive fight. There's no land, so we can't have any kind of land-based defenses. And there are thousands of ships. We will be massively outnumbered, even with the dragons."

Astrid cut in. "What kind of weapons do they have? Our priority is Berk and its people."

"As far as I know, they don't have anything on their ships that can harm Berk," Kenna replied. "The weapons that they _do _have are used to capture and control dragons. They have all kinds of traps. The have iron dome traps, razor wire, iron net launchers-"

"We've seen those," Astrid countered. "Do they have anything new? How are they controlling the dragons? Is there another Alpha?"

"No, they don't have an Alpha. They have chemical ways of controlling the dragons. I'd only heard about it from others. They use drogon root to subdue the dragons, and then a type of venom to control them."

Kenna paused when she noticed the look of unease that passed around the table. Hiccup looked at her, eyebrows furrowed with worry.

"Do you know what the venom is or where they got it from?" he asked.

"I'm not sure," Kenna replied hesitantly. "They just said that it was 'the dragon killer's'. I don't know who the Dragon Killer was, but they either took this venom from him, or he gave it to them."

"Grimmel," Hiccup said darkly, his eyes burning with fury. He turned to Kenna. "Grimmel tried to kill Toothless. He was a dragon hunter, only interested in killing. He had a team of Deathgrippers, whose venom could control other dragons, making them his slaves."

"I wish I knew more about what they had. I could only see what they had above deck. The ships are all armed with rapid-fire ballistas that not only launch nets and traps, but also harpoons. I think Drago wants to annihilate the dragons, not control them all. There were cages, but not as many as I was expecting."

Hiccup looked away and chewed on his lip in thought. Astrid placed a hand on his shoulder.

"There's more." Kenna added, her voice quiet. Hiccup turned his gaze back toward her. 'I mentioned this to Hiccup and Valka, but he has thousands of dragons already under his control. They are his weapons. They are covered in armor, and many have additional weapons mounted to their armor. Blades dipped in dragon root or venom, saddles for riders armed with crossbows, axes, bolas, and more."

"Then we fight back," Hiccup said firmly. "We arm our dragons with armor and weapons. We use their abilities against the others. We train every able-bodied rider for battle. We out-think him." He was getting excited now, pulling rolls of parchment toward him. "We use what we've got. Mom, Kenna, you know more about dragons than anyone. You know their abilities. Could you work with them and their riders to train using those abilities?" The two women nodded. "Fishlegs- we could use the Boulder Class dragons to fortify the island. Dig some caverns so that the villagers who can't fight can go somewhere safe." The large man nodded in affirmation. "Gobber- we're going to need armor, saddles, and weapons. Lots of them. Get creative."

The large one-legged man laughed loudly. "You've got it, ma boy. I've been itchin' to get ma hand on some iron again!"

"Astrid- I need to to train the riders for combat. I don't want you to-" Hiccup was cut off by Astrid.

"If you even _mention _the fact that I shouldn't train because I'm pregnant, I will make sure you _never _have children again."

"Okay…" Hiccup said nervously. "Eret can help train. Utilize their strengths." Eret nodded curtly. "Snotlout, Ruffnut, Tuffnut- call everyone together for a town meeting. I'll get some Terrors out to keep watch for us. If any of them come back, we'll know Drago is close."

"Where will you be chief?" Eret asked. "People might have questions, including us."

"I'll be in the forge with Gobber. I've got some ideas," Hiccup said with a glint in his eye.


	15. Chapter 15: Volunteers and Warriors

_Hiccup_

Hiccup stood before the confused group of vikings, his heart pounding. He did not want to tell them that Drago was alive, that they would need to fight. His people had just gotten their dragons back, and he wished that he could let them enjoy that excitement for just a while longer. The group seemed to sense the difference in atmosphere. There was less laughing, less shouting. Instead of a roar of excitement, there was a quiet murmur of apprehension. There were less dragons in the Great Hall than there had been just last night, and those that were standing with their companions were quiet, eyes on the young chief, his own black dragon behind him.

Hiccup took a deep breath, gathering the courage to address the crowd. He turned and met Astrid's eyes for strength. She gave a him a small smile and nodded once, giving him the encouragement he needed.

"People of New Berk, I called you for another meeting today because I need your help. You have been so supportive ever since I became chief; you listened as I proposed wild ideas to turn Berk into a dragon utopia, you packed up everything and followed me here, and you stood by me when we decided to send the dragons away for their own safety. I have put each and every one of you through so much change. My decisions to include the dragons in our lives nearly led to the destruction of Berk multiple times."

He paused, looking around the room at his people, the people that had trusted him so explicitly over the past several years. He looked back at his wife again, his eyes full of worry. She gave him another short, proud nod. '_It's ok_,' it seemed to say, '_you can tell them_.' He closed his eyes for just a moment before taking a deep breath, pulling his shoulders back, and sharing the news.

"Drago is alive," he announced firmly. "He has regrouped with his armadas and will be mounting an attack on the Hidden World and the dragons." Before the vikings had a chance to shout or ask questions, the chief raised his hands and and continued. "He also wants revenge on me and on Toothless, which means there is a very good possibility that he will come looking for us. I will not pack up our home again. Our friendship with the dragons has led to enough destruction." His voice grew louder and more powerful until he was almost shouting. "It's time to end this. We will mount a counter-attack against Drago and his armada! We will defend our new home and the home of our dragons. I am past trying to convince people not to attack dragons. We will end this once and for all, to protect our dragons, to protect our families, and to protect our home. But in order to do that, I need your help. I need people to volunteer to fight with me. I know it's a lot to ask- so many of you have children and families that I could never take you from, so I won't ask. If you are willing to fight with me, to fight for your home and your dragons, please come forward."

For a moment , there was nothing but silence. Hiccup understood that he had asked his people to make an impossible choice: fight to save the dragons, or stay with your families. His own mind was on Astrid and the child growing within her. He didn't want to fight. Every instinct told him to protect her with every ounce of strength he had. But he also knew that if they didn't fight, they would lose their dragons, and they would be in even more danger from Drago and his army. He let the vikings sit in silence and think. He would not force them to make a decision. Even if no one joined him, he would fight for Toothless and for New Berk.

"I'm with him, who else?!" Tuffnut suddenly shouted into the silence, standing up and raising his fists into the air. In an instant, the sound of shouting vikings filled the room as dozens stepped forward.

"AYE!"

"I'LL FIGHT WITH YE!"

"You can count me in!"

"I'VE GOT YOUR BACK, CHIEF!"

Hiccup felt the breath rush out of him as his shoulders slumped in relief. He smiled wearily and turned back to Astrid who was beaming with pride as she stepped toward him.

"See? I told you they had your back," she said quietly, before she punched him lightly in the arm.

He felt a large hand clap his back and he turned around and looked up to find Eret grinning.

"We'll always fight with you," he said with a nod. Hiccup looked over the large viking's shoulder to see Snotlout, Fishlegs, Ruffnut, Tuffnut, Gobber, Valka, and Kenna all nodding in support with determined smiles.

_Hiccup_

Hiccup walked to the training areas, where Astrid, Eret, Kenna, and his mom were working with groups of volunteers. He had been in the forge all afternoon working on saddles with Gobber, but as evening approached, he was curious to see what had been accomplished around the island. Fishlegs had gathered up all of the Boulder Class dragons and their riders, and informed Hiccup that the plan was to make a maze of caverns deep within the mountainside. The tunnels would criss cross each other multiple times, so that if anyone or anything got into one of them, they would get lost within the maze. The dragons and their riders would not only work on the excavation, but would take care of guiding the villagers into the caverns if the time came. Hiccup mentioned wanting a map, and while Fishlegs was hesitant about putting anything on paper, he agreed to make Hiccup the only map.

When he arrived in the clearing that was being used as training grounds, Hiccup stopped and watched from a distance. Astrid was shouting commands at a young group of riders, most of them teenagers, who were practicing combat with blunted swords. Eret and Snotlout were on the other side of the clearing with bows and arrows that were dipped with dye. Ruffnutt and Tuffnut were leading a group of riders in the air through the trees, dodging branches and arrows alike. The goal was clearly to work on maneuvering the trees and branches as quickly as possibly while dodging the attacks from the archers below. Spitelout was at the head of the group, flying quickly through the trees before his Naddar, Kingstail, was hit in the chin with a colored arrow, causing the two to falter and hit a great pine tree, sending needles everywhere.

"Focus, Spitelout!" Shouted Kenna overhead, who Hiccup had not seen. "Your dragon and navigate the branches just fine without you! Your job is to keep them from getting hit by the archers!"

Spitelout grumbled, fixing his helmet, before falling back to the ground with a thud. Kingstail landed beside him, a purple patch on his pale chin.

"Kenna," Eret shouted up to her, "give 'em a demonstration!" He had noticed Hiccup and winked back at him. "You're gonna want to see this, chief."

The riders all landed and sat on their dragons, looking up at the young woman atop the Light Fury. She smiled and nodded to the archers, who were now joined by Ruffnut and Tuffnut, both armed with bows as well. She hunched down over the dragon's shoulders, taking off into the trees with blinding speed. Hiccup watched in awe as the white dragon and her red-haired rider wove in and out of the branches, barely dodging the green tips.

The small group of archers had opened fire on the pair, shooting arrows tipped with purple, green, red, and blue paint. They dodged each and every one, performing aerial acrobats all while flying at top speed between the trees. Snotlout launched a red-dipped arrow at the pair, and for a moment, Hiccup thought it would hit the white dragon, but at the last moment, she rolled and Kenna snatched the arrow right of the sky. As the two righted themselves, Kenna nocked the arrow in her own bow, drew it back, and released it. It zipped through the air and hit Snotlout in the head, knocking his large helmet over his eyes.

"Snotlout, you're out!" Astrid called, and Snotlout stalked off, trying to rub the paint from his face.

Kenna and Moon performed a wide loop, dodging more arrows, and came in low to the ground, directly toward the archers. Once they were within feet, Moon turned upside down and Kenna dropped to the ground. She ran in between the twins, who were both aiming at her. Ruffnut loosed her arrow and missed, and Kenna hooked her bow behind Tuffnut's neck, pulling him into his sister with the paint-dipped arrow stuck in between them. The two pulled apart, rubbing their heads, a matching blue stain on their tunics.

"Ruufnut, Tuffnut- sit down!" Astrid yelled, and Hiccup could hear the smile on her face. He watched Kenna in amazement as she approached Eret, a smirk on both of their faces. Eret had dropped his bow, knowing that it was useless in close combat. He ran at her, attempting to grab her arms and pin them to her sides. Kenna gracefully evaded both of his hands, dipping under his arm and around his back. Eret turned quickly, throwing a punch directly at the young woman's face. She blocked it, pushing his fist up and away from her, and countered with a punch to his stomach. Eret batter her hand away as if it were an annoying fly. The two circled each other, deflecting hits. Eret had managed to grab Kenna's upper arm, but she ran up his leg, flipping over his shoulder, causing him to relax his grasp, allowing her to escape. She turned to face him again, just in time to catch a fist that was heading straight for her jaw. Clutching Eret's fist in her own, she twisted, holding it away from both of their bodies. Her back now rested against his outstretched arm, and against his throat she held a small knife. The two stood at an impasse for a moment, both breathing heavily and grinning.

"I yield," Eret said with a smile on his face as he raised his free arm.

Kenna dropped Eret's arm and the knife, putting it back into her belt. "You've gotten sloppy," she said, nudging the large viking with her shoulder.

"No I haven't!" Eret insisted, "I was just going easy on you."

Kenna looked at him doubtfully and raised an eyebrow.

"Fine. I wasn't going easy on you. But I think you've just gotten better." Kenna squinted at him for a moment longer as if he was lying, before she turned away and walked toward Astrid, laughing.

Astrid clapped Kenna on the back, her own laughter ringing through the clearing. "Gods, that was amazing! The face Snotlout made when you hit him in the face! You have got to show me some of those moves!"

"I bet you could kick me flat on my arse, pregnant or not," Kenna retorted. The pair walked up the trail to the Great Hall for dinner, the sound of their laughter lasting long after they left.

The rest of the crowd dispersed, getting the message that training was done for the evening. Hiccup walked up to Eret, who hadn't moved since Kenna had bested him. The large man was gazing in the direction the young women had left from, a dopey smile on his face.

"You alright there, Eret?" Hiccup asked.

"Yeah…" Eret whispered. "Gods, she's something else."

Hiccup laughed. "Come on man, let's get you a drink."


	16. Chapter 16: Training Accident

CHAPTER SIXTEEN: TRAINING ACCIDENT

_Kenna_

As the days went by, the village continued to fortify their island, train with their dragons, and prepare for battle. Groups of Terrors had been sent out, scouting for Drago and his armada. Depending on the group that returned, they would know if he was heading for New Berk or for the Hidden World.

On this particular afternoon, Kenna was working with Astrid, attempting to have the teams fight hand-to-hand combat as one. The vikings were quick to forget their dragon companions, choosing to focus on the immediate threat in front of them.

"Remember that your dragon is a part of you!" Kenna shouted over the melee. "You need to protect them and fight with them! They will make you stronger than you are on your own!"

Kenna walked over to where Astrid was standing, watching Gustav Larsen and Fanghook fight against a larger viking and their young Scuttleclaw. Gustav and the larger viking were focused on their fight with blunted weapons, while Fanghook and the younger dragon stood awkwardly off to the side, attempting to help their riders.

"Gustav! Halvar! How many times do I have to tell you to be aware of your surroundings!" Astrid shouted, annoyed. "Your dragons are standing off to the side trying to help you, but you aren't letting them!"

The two men looked at their dragons, but continued to spar against each other. Gustav lunged for Halvar, his sword aimed directly for the other's face. The blue Scuttleclaw dove in between the two, protecting his rider. This gave Halvar the opportunity to attack Gustav with his axe, and Fanghook went to brush him away with his tail, but instead of hitting the large viking, the Monstrous Nightmare's tail hit Astrid in the side, sending her flying. She screamed in pain as she hit the ground, causing Stormfly to screech in alarm and launch her spines as Gustav and Fanghook. The larger dragon shielded the young man from the spines and roared in defense.

Kenna noticed none of this. The moment Astrid had been hit, she ran for the pregnant woman, her mind only focused on the young chieftess and the child inside her.

"I'm sorry Astrid!" Gustav shouted, his voice fearful as he ran over, "I am so so sorry!"

Kenna glanced at him for just a moment and felt a pang of sympathy for the young man. He was close to tears, his face a mask of pure fear and worry.

Kenna knelt next to Astrid. "Please don't move," she said, her hands hovering over the swell of her stomach. "May I touch you?" Astrid nodded, her own brow furrowed in pain and fear.

Kenna gently placed her hands on Astrid's belly. "Please tell me if you feel any sharp pains." Astrid nodded again. Kenna gently prodded her belly, gauging Astrid's reactions as she felt for the child within her.

"Is it ok?" Astrid choked, trying to keep the tears at bay.

"Babies are very resilient," Kenna replied, now feeling the baby's head. "Most time they're stronger than their own mothers." Kenna moved her hands to feel for the baby's spine and pelvis. As far as Kenna could tell, the skull was still in the correct position and there were no obvious signs of fracture.

"Where did Fanghook's tail hit you?" Kenna asked. If the tail had hit Astrid directly on her womb, there was a possibility that the baby's spine could be broke, or that the afterbirth may have detached from inside her womb, and she could bleed out.

"He hit me here," she replied, gesturing to her ribs directly under her arm.

Kenna poked and prodded Astrid's ribs, feeling for fractures. Astrid groaned, but didn't let out and cries or sharp gasps, both of which could identify a broken rib.

"Nothing feels broken," Kenna said. "You'll have a wicked bruise and you'll be sore for a while, but as far as I can tell, you don't have any fractured ribs." Her hands returned to Astrid's abdomen.

"And the baby?" Astrid's voice still full of fear.

Kenna turned to the young mother. "It's harder to tell. It's spine, skull, and hips all feel fine, as far as I can tell." As if in response, Kenna's hand received a sharp kick through Astrid's belly. Kenna looked up at Astrid and smiled. "I guess that tells us everything is ok. The only concern I have now is that your afterbirth may have detached from the wall of your womb." She helped Astrid up into a seated position. "So you need to watch for any-"

Kenna was interrupted as Hiccup pushed her out of the way and knelt at his wife's feet.

"Are you alright?" he asked, his voice filled with panic. "Gustav came running into the forge screaming that Fanghook hurt you."

"We're alright," Astrid told him calmly.

"I had heard Stormfly scream, but I thought it was just a training exercise, but then Gustav came barrelling in and I knew something was wrong…" Hiccup continued, not hearing her.

"Hiccup," Astrid said, trying to get his attention.

"I'm going to take you to Gothi, and then you need to rest. No more training. I knew it was too dangerous…"

"Hiccup!" Astrid shouted, grabbing Hiccup's face in her hands. "We're ok," Astrid said again pointedly.

"Oh," he said sheepishly, the panic still evident in his eyes

Kenna walked over to where the chief and chieftess sat on the ground. "I was just telling Astrid that things seem ok," she said. "But I really would like to examine Astrid a bit more. Could you help me get her back to your home?"

Kenna had been annoyed when Hiccup pushed her out of the way, but knew that fathers were often more terrified than the mothers. She understood that Hiccup's focus was entirely on Astrid, he could have pushed aside a Crimson Goregutter to get to her.

Hiccup stood, and helped Kenna pull Astrid to her feet. Astrid looped an arm around each of their shoulders, and the trio moved slowly to the Haddock's homestead.

Kenna observed Astrid as they made their way up the path and through the village plaza. Astrid's brows were furrowed in discomfort and she was breathing heavily.

"Are you alright?" Kenna asked. "Are you feeling dizzy or in pain at all?"

"I just got walloped by a dragon," Astrid joked, "I'm in pain, but it's not too bad. I'm maybe slightly dizzy, but not enough to need to sit down."

"Please milady, don't push yourself. We can stop for a minute," Hiccup suggested, his eyes never leaving Astrid's face.

"Babe, I'm ok," she promised with a small smile, "let's just go home."

They walked silently to the Haddock home, both Kenna and Hiccup focused on Astrid. By the time they reached the house, Astrid was irritated by their constant staring.

"Will both of you cut it out? I'm fine! If something doesn't feel right, I'll tell you!" she snapped.

Kenna smiled and apologized quietly, while Hiccup's face turned red.

"Sorry Astrid," Kenna said. "Why don't we get you in your bed so I can take a closer look?"

Astrid nodded and they made their way up to their room and settled Astrid on top of the furs.

"Things are going to get pretty intimate here, so you might want to wait outside," Kenna said to Hiccup, knowing that a lot of husbands felt uncomfortable with women discussing their anatomy and bodily processes.

"No. I'm staying," he said firmly, which surprised Kenna.

"Babe," Astrid interjected, "just wait in the main room. I'll be fine and you can come in when Kenna's done."

Hiccup glared at his wife for a moment before begrudgingly agreeing and exiting the bedroom.

"Gods, he's dramatic," Astrid said, rolling her eyes.

"He's a husband and a father-to-be, they don't know what to do with themselves. Men forget that women are perfectly capable of doing things on their own during pregnancy. They just have a need to protect."

"I know! Hiccup doesn't let me do anything! He' always asking if I'm alright, or if I need anything, it's annoying!" Astrid laughed.

"I'm glad you got him to leave. He would have asked a million questions that he probably didn't want to know the answer to anway."

Astrid nodded, still smiling.

"Why don't you get your bottom half undressed and we can double-check that everything's ok," Kenna suggested, "I'll step out while you get ready."

Kenna left the room for a few moments to let Astrid get undressed, and then stepped back inside. Astrid had changed into a lightweight shift that fell to about her knees. Kenna approached Astrid, stopping at the edge of the bed.

"I'm going to be feeling your belly," she informed Astrid, "if anything feel strange or painful, you need to tell me, alright?"

Astrid nodded, and Kenna lifted the shift over the woman's stomach and motioned for her to lift her knees, placing her feet on the bed. She was able to identify where Fanghook had hit her, the skin on her ribs starting to turn purple. She placed her hands gently at the top of Astrid's stomach and palpated her womb firmly. She was able to identify the legs and hips of the baby, and with some gentle nudging, the child rolled, allowing Kenna to feel the other side. The bones were small, but held firm and felt smooth; no evidence of any breaks. A sharp push from inside also confirmed that there was no evidence of dislocation. Kenna moved her hands further down Astrid's abdomen, feeling along the infant's spine. The spine was straight and curved forward gently, since the baby was curled up inside. Kenna felt confident that there were no issues with the spine, and he ribs and chest were carefully protected by the child's own body. Next were the shoulders, which Kenna couldn't feel clearly, but they were in alignment. Nestled down in Astrid's pelvis was the baby's head, its chin tucked into its chest. The baby's skull was smooth and in perfect alignment with the spine and hips.

Kenna moved her hands around to Astrid's sides, checking the position of the baby further.

"Everything _feels _alright," Kenna said, "but I don't have any way of being completely certain. Regardless, this baby is in perfect position for delivery. It's head is down and already positioned toward the birth canal, which I would like to check to make sure there's no bleeding. Is that alright?"

Astrid nodded again and let her legs fall open. "I guess this the the fast way of getting to know someone," she said with a chuckle.

Kenna laughed quietly. "Right? 'Nice to meet you, my name is Kenna, I'm going to look and touch your lady bits now."

Astrid's quiet laugh caused her belly to bounce.

"But in all honesty, this part could be a little uncomfortable," Kenna added solemnly, "take a deep breath and try to relax as much as possible."

Astrid took a deep breath in, and as she exhaled, Kenna pushed her fingers inside of her new friend. Kenna noted the length of Astrid's birth canal, and how the distance to the opening of her womb was a bit shorter than it normally is, indicating that the child was definitely in the right position for birth, which wouldn't be far away. There was no bleeding, which made Kenna very happy. The afterbirth was still firmly attached, and there was no current risk for Astrid or her child.

Kenna wiped her hands on a cloth that Astrid has provided her, smiling at the young woman. "Everything feels great," she said. "There's no bleeding, so I really think that everything is just fine. You're very lucky that Fanghook's tail didn't hit you anty lower. You should probably take it easy for a day or two, rest as much as possible, watch for any signs of bleeding. No one knows your body better than you." She sighed, "although, we should we should probably go tell your husband before his heart stops from worry."

She helped Astrid up and the two women laughed and joked as they made their way into the main living space.


	17. Chapter 17: Heart-To-Heart

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN: HEART-TO-HEART

_Hiccup_

Hiccup paced around the main living space of his home in frustration and worry. He was concerned that something may have happened to the baby and he was worried about Astrid. He wanted nothing more to be in their room with her, holding her hand. He was sure that Kenna was competent, but he wanted to know exactly what happened and what could be wrong. Would Astrid be able to have a healthy delivery if she or the baby were injured? Does Astrid need to stay in bed? Should he fetch Gothi? As the questions buzzed in his head, the concern he felt began to change into frustration. This was his house! He was chief! And Astrid was his wife! How dare he be kicked out of his own home?! With resolution, he made to walk up the stairs and into their room when he was interrupted by a knock on the door. He sighed and stomped over and opened it.

Standing on the front steps was Eret. "Hey chief- I heard about what happened to Astrid, everything alright?"

Hiccup stepped back and allowed Eret to enter- some company might not be such a bad idea to keep his mind occupied. The two sat down in the large chairs placed by the hearth, and Hiccup put his head in his hands.

"I don't know what happened, Eret," he started, "I was working in the forge with Gobber when I heard a dragon screech. It got my attention, but I didn't give it much thought until Gustav came running in shouting that he was sorry. Of course I had no idea what he was talking about, but I couldn't get him to calm down and tell me what happened." He stood up, waving his arms while he spoke. "He just kept saying 'I'm sorry, I'm sorry'. Then- then he said he hurt Astrid. That Fanghook hit her and she fell." He fell back into his own chair and ran his fingers through his hair. "I didn't hear anything after that. I know he kept talking, but I couldn't hear anything. I just had to get to her. I ran as fast as I could, and when I got to the training area, I saw her on the ground with everyone crowded around her and Stormfly behind her. I could tell that Stormfly was upset; all of her spines were up and she was swinging her tail around. I ran to her and asked if she was ok." Hiccup took a deep breath and let it out slowly. "Eret, I- I don't think I've ever been that scared." The young chief looked up at his friend, his brow knotted with worry and fear, giving Hiccup the appearance of a scared child. "Not even when my dad died, or when Drago had control of the dragons, or when Grimmel captured Toothless. I could have lost Astrid. We could have lost the baby. Eret, I could have lost both of them!" His voice cracked with emotion and tears shone in his eyes. With Astrid getting hurt, Hiccup was reminded of just how much he had to lose, and how quickly he could lose it. The thought of Drago and his armada was always on his mind, but the real threat was never there. He realized that there was a very real possibility of losing everything- his tribe, their home, the dragons, his friends, and now the one thing that has kept him going through everything.

Eret has sat quietly and listened as his chief poured his heart out to him, and as Hiccup sat after, with his head again in his hands, Eret walked into the kitchen, grabbed two mugs, and filled both of them with mead from the cask on the table. He carried both back and sat down in the other chair across from Hiccup.

"Here," he said, extending one of the mugs to the distraught chief. "Hiccup, I won't lie, what we're facing is bigger than anything we've ever done. Drago is out for vengeance, with a bigger army and bigger weapons. We will have to face him soon, but right now, you need to focus on what is going on here."

Hiccup took a large drink of the sweet mead, then looked up at Eret with an expression of exhaustion and slight confusion.

"Astrid's here, Hiccup. She's alright. And I know Kenna. If Astrid or your baby was in any sort of danger, you would know. She's an amazing midwife. I've seen her bring babies into the world who should have never survived the first half of pregnancy. I've seen her save mothers who were bleeding out on their birthing beds. She's pulled babies from mothers that have died and placed them in terrified father's arms. She's honest and she's kind, and she's the best damn midwife I've ever seen. Yes, Astrid could have been hurt, but she wasn't. You still have your family, and you still have your friends. And we will do whatever it takes to protect them. I can't promise that Astrid won't be in danger from Drago, but for now she's safe and she's here. Remember that."

Eret sat down in his chair and took a swig of his mead. "Besides," he said with a smirk, "do you really think anyone could take down the might Astrid Hofferson? Sorry- Haddock."

Hiccup took another drink from his mug and gave Eret a small smile. "You're right, Eret. She's here, and she's alright. I can't always protect her. Hels, wild dragons couldn't keep that woman out of danger!"

Eret raised his glass in agreement and took another drink with Hiccup. They sat in silence for a few moments. Hiccup's mind wandered from his wife and child to what Eret had said about Kenna. That she was the best midwife he'd ever seen. Hiccup couldn't help but smile inwardly at how passionate Eret had gotten talking about Kenna. He knew love when he saw it, he still got that way over Astrid's accomplishments; the accuracy she had with an axe, the way she used to fly on Stormfly, and the way should could beat any guy into submission. Eret was completely smitten by Kenna, he had noticed it several days ago when Kenna had shown just how capable she is on the back of a dragon as well as in a fight. Eret had been completely awestruck by her and when Hiccup had taken him for a drink, all Eret had talked about was how skilled Kenna was in combat. Apparently, her father had trained her to fight with any weapon available. Even though Kenna could never be chief, her father had raised her as if she could be. She attended council meetings, diplomatic trips, and trained with the other boys. She could hunt and fish as well as any man, and was probably the best archer in their tribe. Hiccup flicked his gaze back to Eret, who was now staring into the fire, a contemplative look on his face.

"You alright there 'Ret?"

Eret snapped up, as if out of a daze. "Yeah. Yeah. Just thinking about something you said…"

"Which would be…?"

"Losing her," he said quietly, taking another drink of mead. "I already lost Kenna to Drago once, I can't lose her again. She's too invested in taking him down. I have no way of protecting her. She's going to be right in the middle of it, fighting. And I can't always stay at her side. This will be too much of a fight for me to fight alongside her. If I can be honest, I'm a little jealous in some way. Astrid knows that fighting isn't an option for her, not now. If I could keep Kenna here, away from him, I would."

"Eret, you and I both know that the only reason Astrid won't be fighting is because of how close she is to having this baby. If she wasn't so pregnant, she would be out there on Stormfly with us. Astrid and Kenna are warriors. You couldn't keep them out of a fight, that's just who they are. And we love them for it."

Eret hummed a soft laugh. "I was going to marry her, you know." Hiccup nodded, remembering the feast when Kenna first arrived. "We were supposed to get married that Spring, but the winter before is when Drago showed up. I was so close to having her as mine, just to have someone else steal her away from me. And now, I feel like I'll never get that chance again."

"So marry her," Hiccup said bluntly.

"What?"

"Marry her. However you want to do it. Gothi will mary you if you asked her. Hels, I'll marry the two of you if you want!"

Eret sat for a moment, chewing his lip in thought. "You're right, chief," he said with a smile, "I'm gonna marry her, and I think I know how I'm gonna do it."

* * *

Astrid and Kenna appeared at the top of the stairs after a short time, their footsteps alerting the men to their presence. Hiccup jumped to his feet and ran up the steps, grabbing the arm that Kenna wasn't holding. The two helped Astrid make her way down toward the stairs and into the chair Eret had been sitting in. Hiccup immediately dropped to his knees in front of her.

"Are you alright?" he asked tenderly, cupping her cheek in his hand.

Astrid gave him a soft smile and nodded. "We're alright. Fanghook managed to get a pretty good swing in. My ribs will be bruised for a while."

"We're?" he asked tentatively, making sure he understood.

"They both are just fine," Kenna said from next to Eret, pulling Hiccup's attention. "As Astrid said, her ribs are bruised, but nothing is broken. And your baby seems perfectly healthy. Even gave us some good kicks just to make its point!"

Hiccup let out the breath he had been aware he had been holding. "Thank Thor." He pulled himself to his feet, and moved to stand behind Astrid placing his hands on her shoulders.

"I'm going to tell you the same thing I told Astrid," Kenna said with authority, "rest and relax for the next few days, watch for any bleeding or swelling. If nothing pops up, Astrid can go back to everyday activities." She looked at Hiccup pointedly, "I don't want to hear that you have barricaded her in here. She doesn't need to be on bed rest, exercise is good for her, but for the next few days, nothing extreme. Let her train, Hiccup. You are being overly cautious. Astrid is a strong woman, her body can handle physical exercise. It might even help her during label."

"But-" Hiccup started, but was cut off by Kenna.

"No buts. If I hear that you have made her stay in bed, YOU will be the one who needs bed rest."

Hiccup's eyes were wide as he nodded, almost fearful of the fiery woman, making Astrid burst into laughter.

"Gods, Hiccup! Your face! Is Kenna really that scary?"

Hiccup smiled and blushed slightly, and rubbed the back of his neck.

"Kenna, Eret, do you want to stay for dinner?" Astrid asked, a smile still on her face.

"Thanks, but no. I've got something to show Kenna," Eret said with a wink.

Hiccup raised his mug to his lips and smiled into his drink. He had a feeling that he knew exactly what Eret was talking about.


	18. Chapter 18: Now and Forever

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN: NOW AND FOREVER

_Kenna_

"Eret, where are we going?" Kenna asked. Eret had her hand in his and was practically dragging her through the village. The sun had set recently, leaving the sky pink and purple, and the stars were starting to come out of hiding.

He turned back and smiled, his amber eyes twinkling. "You'll see," he said with a wink.

Kenna rolled her eyes and smiled inwardly. She loved his playful nature, as annoying as it could be at times. He was clearly excited about whatever he had planned, and responded the same way each time she asked what was going on or where they were going.

As they reached the edge of the village, Eret turned up a familiar path. Kenna immediately recognized that they were heading toward the lake he had taken her on her first night here. They had visited that spot a few times since her arrival, generally to talk about their day in relative quiet and watch the sun set. The large, moss-covered boulder at the edge of the water had become a special place to Kenna, their place, secluded from the rest of the village and away from nosy Berkians. She wondered what could be so important for Eret to lead her there with such urgency.

They strode alongside the river and past the great pine trees. Kenna briefly noticed a few dragons flying overhead, possibly returning to roost for the night. When they reached the lake, the sky had turned a deep royal blue and the stars were out in full force. A crescent moon had started to rise over the Eastern mountains. Eret released her hand, and Kenna walked to the edge of the lake. The surface of the water reflected the moon and stars, giving them the appearance that they were dancing. The quiet roar of the waterfall helped to clear away the noise in her mind, and she turned back toward Eret with a smile.

He stood next to the boulder watching her, the look on his face one of pure adoration. He was smiling softly at her.

"What?" Kenna asked.

"Come here," he said softly, holding out his hand to her.

She took his hand and he drew her in close. He held both of her hands in his and gently stroked her knuckled with the pads of his thumb.

"Kenna," he began quietly, his amber eyes holding her own hazel gaze, "I can't believe that after all we have been through, all of the heartbreak, all of the pain, all of the sacrifice, and all of the time, we have somehow managed to find each other again. With everything that is coming our way, I can't risk losing you again."

"Eret, you won't lose me," Kenna said with a smile. She mistook his solemnity as fear or concern for the battle to come, and so she tried to reassure him.

"But I could!" his voice suddenly urgent. "Drago stole you from me once already. In my heart, you were mine, and I never had the opportunity to make it happen! And then, I lost you. You were gone, and I believed you were dead. The day I lost you was the day I died. But having you here with me now, I've been given another chance to make sure I never lose you again." He cupped her cheek with one warm hand and gazed intently into her eyes. "Will you marry me? Now, before the world falls apart again?"

Kenn gasped and her eyebrows lifted in shock. She didn't know whether she should laugh or break down in tears. While Kenna still considered Eret to be her betrothed after all of their years apart, she wasn't sure if he felt the same way. His proposal was confirmation that he felt the same.

"Now? But don't we need the gothi or at least witnesses?" she asked, the logistics of what he asked racing through her mind.

"Not necessarily," he replied with a smirk. "Your father told me of a tradition performed by your mother's people when they couldn't get married by en elder, wisewoman, priest, shaman, wizard, whatever. It's a promise that we make to each other in front of the gods, declaring our love and our commitment to each other. Kenna, I want you. I don't care if I declare it in front of a thousand people or not. The only person that I need to tell is you."

Kenna stood in silence, taking in everything that Eret had just said. The corners of her mouth lifted slightly, and she released his other hand before grabbing his face in her hands. "Eret, you are amazing. I never stopped loving you after all this time." Her face lit up with a dazzling smile. "Let's get married!"

Eret grinned broadly and captured her lips in a fierce kiss. It only lasted a moment, but Kenna could feel years of love and hope poured into the kiss. They broke apart, and Eret pulled a long cord from his belt and took her hand in his.

"Kenna, I declare before all of the gods in Valhalla that I will love and respect you," he looped the cord once around their hands, "I will listen to you and care for you," he looped it a second time, "I will laugh with you and share your dreams," he wrapped the cord a third time around their hands, "May we be as happy as we are today as we walk life's path together. I chose you now and always."

Kenna's heart raced as she heard his words. Their original union was planned to be a massive affair, the wedding of a successful trapper and warrior to the only child of the chief. In many ways, Kenna found this to be far more meaningful. This wasn't a joining of houses, or of tribes. There was nothing political to gain. This was simply the joining of man and woman.

Kenna pulled at the leather cord that bound her hair, letting the fiery waves fall below her shoulders. "Eret, I declare before all the gods to love you and respect you," she wrapped the cord around their joined hands, "I promised to listen and care for you," she wrapped the cord a second time, "I will laugh with you and share your dreams," she wrapped it a third and final time, May we be as happy as we are today as we walk life's path together. I choose you now and forever."

Eret couldn't hold himself back. The moment that the words left Kenna's mouth, he cupped her face and kissed her passionately. She pressed her body against his and grabbed the back of his neck with the hand that wasn't bound to his. Eret moaned and dropped his other hand, letting the wrapped cords fall the the ground as he used both hands to cradle her face. His tongue brushed against her lip, begging for entrance. Kenna opened her mouth slightly and they deepened the kiss. With her other hand, she threaded her fingers into his dark, silky hair.

Kenna sighed into the kiss as Eret gently pulled her lower lip into his mouth. She grabbed his hair tighter and he groaned in want. He moved his hands down her back and he cupped her backside firmly, making her roll her pelvis against him. She could feel is arousal, hot and firm against her stomach. She knew that he wanted her in every way, and she wanted him too. She pulled away slightly and Eret opened his eyes.

Kenna stepped back and bit her lip slightly. She could feel her own desire pooling in her stomach, feeding the dull ache between her legs. Eret watched her, amber eyes dark and hooded with lust. She stepped out of her boots and unclipped the heavy leather belt around her waist, letting it fall to the ground. She stepped out of her leggings, and pulled the dress and tunic over her head, leaving her in just her breast bindings and underclothes. She held Eret's gaze as she slowly backed toward the edge of the water. When she reached the edge of the lake, she turned her back to him and pushed her underthings down her legs and tossed them back toward her other clothes. Then she unwound her breast bindings, feeling Eret's eyes on her the whole time. When she was completely naked, she turned and glanced at Eret over her shoulder, and turned back and walked into the lake.

The water was cool, but not as cold as she was expecting. It felt good on her heated skin as she walked in deeper, stopping when the water reached her waist. She turned around, finally baring her breasts to her husband. The thought made her smile, they were married. It might not be traditional, but in the eyes of the gods, they were man and wife.

"Are you coming in or not?" she called to Eret, whose eyes snapped up from staring at her breasts.

"Uh, yeah!" he called back, running toward the lake and removing clothes as he ran.

Kenna laughed at the sight of him currently hopping on one foot, attempting to remove his trousers, before he crashed into the lake with a splash.

Kenna dipped under the water and swam a few strokes before surfacing and wiping the water from her eyes. She turned and looked for Eret, but he was nowhere in sight. His clothes were on the beach with hers, but there was no trace of him.

Before she had time to worry, two massive arms wrapped around her from behind, and she was pulled back into the water with a splash. She surfaced again and pushed her hair back, before turning around and glaring at Eret, who was smiling.

"Eret!" she chastised, splashing him, trying to look stern, despite the large smile on her face.

"Gotcha," he replied with a smirk. He pushed a stand of hair over her shoulder. "I want to look at you," he said softly.

Kenna dropped her arms, which had been crossed in front of your chest, letting Eret see everything. He reached out and let his finger glide gently over her pale skin. He traced the claw marks on her right shoulder and the burn scar on her forearm. He mapped each scar and imperfection, pausing at each, before letting his gaze fall to her breasts. He ran his knuckle over the tops of her breasts and down to her nipples, which were puckered with cold and anticipation.

"You are so perfect," Eret whispered, his voice husky with need, as he gently cupped her breast in one calloused hand. Kenna's heart raced with desire, and despite the cool water, she could feel the heat between her thighs. She pulled Eret close and kissed him firmly, moaning when she felt him squeeze her breast in response.

"My turn," Kenna said, pulling away from him and taking in his naked form. His dark hair clung to his shoulder and neck. She dragged her fingertips lightly over his shoulders and down his arms, tracing the scars from years of dragon trapping. She drew her fingers back up his arms and across his chest, pausing at the large brand left there. She leaned in and gently kissed it, feeling a pang of guilt and remorse as she did. She felt Eret shudder and draw a sharp breath. When she looked up, she could see that Eret's eyes were closed. She trailed her fingers down his chest and stomach, feeling every ridge of muscle. She stopped herself when she felt the coarse hair on his pelvis. He whined and opened his eyes when she withdrew her hand.

Eret's eyes were hooded and dark, mirroring the same desire that Kenna was feeling. In one swift movement, Eret pulled her in close for a passionate kiss, their tongues and teeth crashing. Eret ran his hands down her sides, over her ass, and to the back of her thighs, picking her up. Instinctively, Kenna wrapped her legs around his waist and moaned when she felt his arousal brush against her core. She gripped his hair with her fingers, trying to pull him closer. He released her mouth and chuckled against her skin as he licked and nipped along her neck. She keened softly and let her head fall to the side, granting him access.

"Want you... so bad...waited…too long…" he gasped between kisses, and Kenna could feel her own breathing increase in response. Letting her float in the water, he released one of her thighs, and moved his hand over her hip, up the curve of her waist and ribs, and cupped her breast. He rubbed his thumb over the peaked nipple and Kenna gasped.

"Will you come home with me?" he murmured against her throat, his hands gently caressing her skin, "I want to do this properly."

Kenna's hazel eyes met his amber ones and she nodded, "take me home."


	19. Chapter 19: Hunger

_Kenna_

They ran through the village, clutching their clothes. Eret wore only his trousers, while Kenna was wearing his tunic. It was sleeveless and fell to her mid-thigh. Eret clutched her hand, leading her through the outskirts of New Berk to his home; their home.

On the path ahead, a small group of viking men were walking and singing loudly, clearly having come from the Meade Hall. Eret pulled Kenna into a dark corner and gently pushed her up against the wall of a nearby house. He kissed her hard, albeit briefly, and she could help but moan in response.

"Shh, love," he whispered, his lips brushing the shell of her ear, "I can't risk my new bride being seen with barely any clothes on." As if to prove his point, his fingers brushed up the inside of her thigh, stopping just before he touched her slick center. Kenna drew in a sharp breath and her eyes closed. She wanted so badly to have him touch her. The light caresses were maddening and seemed to leave trails of fire on her skin.

As the torchlight and the singing grew stronger, Eret pulled her behind the row of houses, keeping out of sight. He lead her to the edge of a cliff, where a set of stairs criss-crossed against the rock face, leading down to the ocean below. She turned to Eret and raised a brow.

"What can I say, I need to be near the sea," he said with a shrug. She smiled in understanding. Their village had been on the sea, and Eret's family were all sailors; fisherman, traders, and trappers. Eret was just at home on the sea as he was on land. He led her down the stairs, where several houses were built along the rocky shore, with a few docks leading to small ships. A short distance away was a larger house, painted with bright colors and decorated with a carving of a dragon's head, with a larger ship moored in front. On the grass beside the house, a large green Rumblehorn was resting. The young lovers made their way towards the house, pausing when the great dragon opened his eyes and stood up. He lumbered over to them, nudging both in turn with his nasal horn.

"Hey big guy," Kenna said quietly, giving him a scratch under his chin. Skullcrusher rumbled in pleasure, then lumbered away and lay down again.

"I guess Skullcrusher approves," Eret said, smiling at Kenna.

Kenna returned his smile and the two walked up the steps to the heavy wooden door. Eret pushed it in, but before Kenna had a chance to move into the house, he scooped her up in her arms, dropping his clothes and boots She squealed in surprise and instinctively wrapped her arms around his neck, dropping her clothes as well. She laughed as Eret carried her across the threshold into his home.

"Welcome home, wife," he said quietly, smiling down at her. She smiled in return, her heart swelling at being called 'wife'. She reached up and kissed him softly on the lips. He hummed in response and kicked the door shut. Kenna expected to be set down, but he carried her through the house. The fire in the hearth had died to embers, still casting a slight glow around the room. Eret carried Kenna through the main living space and up the stairs at the back of the home. Instead of a separate room at the top of the stairs, there was a large landing that was open to the room below. It was dark, but Kenna was able to make out some of the furnishings. A table and chair, a storage chest, and a large bed. Eret carried her across the room and to the large, ornately carved bed, where he laid her down gently on the furs. He busied himself at a side table for a few moments, before he was cast in the soft glow of a candle.

He turned back to Kenna, and climbed onto the bed next to her. She sat up, and the two faced each other for a moment. He reached out and tucked a strand of damp red hair behind her ear and cupped her chin. She closed her eyes at his gentle touch, and let him pull her in for a kiss. This kiss was chaste and tender, instead of fierce and passionate, but Kenna found it no less desirable. She couldn't contain her quiet hum of contentment from the feel of his skin on hers. When he pulled away, she opened her eyes. Eret's eyes were warm as he gazed at her with love and the smallest bit of uncertainty. He reached out for the hem of the tunic she was wearing and grazed his fingers along the edge against her skin. Knowing that Eret was asking for permission, Kenna smiled and raised her arms above her head. He gripped the edge of the shirt and pulled it up and over her head, then tossing it in a dark corner.

He leaned in close, gently guiding Kenna until she was laying on the furs. His lips were at her neck, his breath warm against her jaw as he trailed his fingertips up and down her body. His touch cause goosebumps to form in their wake, and Kenna shivered with desire.

"God's, you're beautiful," he murmured against her skin, before kissing her shoulder. "I have wanted this for so long, to make you mine, to have you in my bed as my wife."

Kenna hummed in agreement, unable to form coherent thoughts. As much as she enjoyed the light and gentle touches, her body craved to have him grab her, to be filled, to become one. As if he heard her thoughts, Eret bit her neck and squeezed her breast, and she gasped and arched her back in response. Kenna could hear Eret's soft chuckle as he moved his mouth from her neck down to her other breast. As his worked her breast and nipple with one calloused hand, he kissed and nipped across the swell of the other breast, before latching onto the pink bud and worrying it gently between his teeth. Kenna moaned at the sensation and fisted the furs beneath her. Eret switched breasts, paying careful attention to the other one, then kissed his way back up to her neck, where he left tender, gentle kisses behind her ear.

Kenna felt goosebumps erupt all over her body and shivered from the feeling. She was acutely aware that his hand had left her breast and was inching its way lower. She instinctively opened her legs for him. She could feel just how slick she was, and he hadn't even touched her yet. Kenna was breathing harder with anticipation and pure want. As Eret's finger barely brushed against her core, her body lurched like she had been burned and she whined. She was wound so tight with desire, and the teasing touches and casual caresses had driven her to the point of madness.

"Eret, please!" she begged, her voice breathy, and she grabbed his wrist and attempted to force him to really touch her.

As if taking pity on her pleas, Eret attacked her mouth with his own, and firmly ran two of his fingers up her slit. Kenna jolted and her cry of pleasure was swallowed by Eret's mouth. Feeling her slickness, Eret groaned, and Kenna felt him throb against her leg.

This wanton desire to have him fill her was new and strange to Kenna. She had been a virgin before Drago, and he took her maidenhood with force. It had been painful, but she had refused to cry out. But having Eret touch her and kiss her was an entirely new experience. Everything he did was for her pleasure. She was certain he was uncomfortable, he was still wearing his trousers, and he was hard and pulsing with need. But as Eret pressed his fingers against her swollen bud, all thoughts of any past experiences quickly vanished. All that mattered was having Eret here with her now. Keen keened and cried as he stroked her, she fisted the furs beneath her as she felt a tightening in her lower belly. She kissed him frantically, pushing her tongue in his mouth and biting at his lips. He pushed a finger inside her with ease and she moaned at the feeling. He alternated between rubbing her clit and pressing his finger inside of her, and she felt like she was teetering on an edge. She knew what she wanted, and she cried out.

"Eret, more!"

"Are you sure?" his eyes were full of concern for her, but she released the blankets with one hand, and pulled at the back of his neck.

"Yes!" she growled. He kissed at her neck with a renewed frenzy as he pushed another finger inside of her. She gasped and the additional pressure, and gripped him tighter. With his thumb, he rubbed against her bundle of nerves firmly, and he plunged his fingers in and out of her. She felt the pressure build low in her belly more than she ever thought possible, before a feeling of white-hot pleasure coursed through her body. She arched off of the bed, and screamed Eret's name into the dark. As she came down from Valhalla, she was hyper-aware of Eret running his hand up and down her thigh softly. He pushed a damp strand of hair from her forehead, and she turned to kiss him.

"I want you," she whispered. He moaned and rested his forehead on hers.

"I want you too, love. But I don't want you hurt you." His voice was soft, alost pained, filled with concern.

Kenna pushed him back so that she should look into his eyes. She pushed herself up on one elbow, grabbed the nape of his neck with her other hand, and stroked his cheek with her thumb.

"You won't," she whispered, her voice strong and confident. She knew he was thinking about her experiences with Drago, and how painful it was, but Eret had done everything that Drago hadn't; he had made her want it. She could feel the slick dripping between her thighs and it made her crave him. She met his eyes, and while his were full of concern, hers were bright with love and desire.

Sensing his hesitance, Kenna grabbed his hand and brought it to her core again. "Can't you feel what you do to me?" she asked. "How much I want this?"

Eret exhaled sharply, almost as if he was in pain.

"You won't hurt me," she said, releasing his hand and reaching for his trousers. "You can't hurt me. Please, Eret." She pushed at the waist of his trousers, pushing them over his ass as far as she could reach.

Eret closed his eyes and furrowed his brow. He let out a sound that Kenna could only describe as a growl, before shoving his clothing the rest of the way down his legs and kicking them off the bed. Kenna glanced down, taking in all of him. He was large and hard, the tip leaking with his desire. Eret watched her face as her eyes razed down his body. Her eyes held no fear, and when they turned up and met his, he saw only trust and a hunger for him. He moved himself between her legs, stroking himself slowly. He leaned down and kissed her tenderly, his tongue seeking entry into her mouth. She returned the kiss with fervor, and wrapped one of her legs around his waist and pulled him closer. He guided himself to her entrance, and coated his hard length with her slick. He grabbed her leg with his other hand and carefully entered her tight channel.

Kenna gasped at the overwhelming sensation of having Eret fill her to the brim and fisted the furs again. Eret groaned and looked down at her.

"Are you alright?" he asked tightly.

"Yeah. Just- go slow."

He nodded and began moving in and out of her slowly. At first, she felt and uncomfortable burn as her body adjusted to the stretch of accommodating him, but as he mouthed at her neck and shoulders while gently thrusting, the discomfort quickly faded into something wonderful.

Kenna's grip on the furs loosened and she threaded her fingers into his hair.

"Faster, please," she begged, her breath coming in ragged pants. Eret obliged, and pumped his hips faster. With each thrust, he hit a spot deep inside her, sending a shockwave through her entire body.

Eret panted above her, having released her neck to watch her face as he sank into her again and again. He braced himself on the bed, and wrapped his other arm around her middle, lifting her slightly off of the bed. He bent over her arched body and pulled one of her plump nipples between his teeth. She cried out in pleasure and threw her head back.

"Oh Gods, Eret! she cried out in ecstasy. She was wound tight, on the verge of coming undone. Eret lifted her off the bed, pulling her into his lap. He had one arm still wrapped tightly around her waist, the other hand was fisted into her crimson curls, holding her still as he pounded up into her. Her arms were wrapped around her neck, nails digging into his back and scalp. He attacked her mouth with his, biting and licking at her swollen lips. Their teeth clacked together in their passion, but neither minded.

Eret released her mouth and latched onto her neck again. Kenna's head fell back and she shut her eyes or the overwhelming feelings of desire. The heat in her belly was boiling now, and she felt like she could snap at any moment.

"Kenna," he growled against her neck, teeth dragging across the sensitive skin. Her name on his lips was all it took for her to shatter into a million tiny pieces. She came silently, but with intensity. Her mouth opened in a silent scream and her eyes were squeezed tight. Her nails dug into Eret's skin hard enough to leave red marks as her walls pulsed around him. With a moan, he reached his own climax, and he released deep inside of her.

For a few moments, they sat, still entwined. Their breaths came in quick pants as they rested their foreheads against each other, Kenna on Eret's shoulder and Eret on the top of her head. Eret's arms were still looped around her waist, and her arms were draped over his shoulders. They let their heart rates slow, before they separated and lay back on the pillows. Kenna rested her head on Eret's chest. He had one arm behind her head and was absentmindedly playing with her hair, twisting it around his fingers and hand.

Kenna felt her eyelids drooping as Eret played with her hair. She felt comfortable in Eret's arms, and safer than she had felt in years.

"Eret?" she said, looking up at him.

"Hmm?" he replied sleepily.

"Can I stay here?"

Eret sat up slightly and cupped her face with his hand. "You're my wife," he said, gazing into her eyes, "this is your home as much as it is mine. It may not be official by Berk standards, but I married you tonight. Your place is her, with me."

Kenna smiled sweetly and placed a soft kiss on his lips.

"I love you, husband."

"I love you, wife."


	20. Chapter 20: the Morning After

CHAPTER TWENTY: THE MORNING AFTER

_Hiccup_

It was morning, and the sun was barely up. Hiccup navigated the walkways of New Berk from his own home to the forge, Toothless bouncing along behind him. He had woken up early, eager to continue his work on saddles and armor for the dragons. He had left Astrid still sleeping heavily with a kiss on her cheek and a note explaining where he was. After all of the excitement yesterday, he was sure that Astrid could possibly sleep until mid-morning. Toothless was happily bounding along, having already been out for a morning flight. He spent most of his time with Hiccup, although he would often go off with his mate for meals or at night. Hiccup was ecstatic to have his best friend back. He would talk to him while he worked on different projects in the forge, or when they would fly for a few minutes to get some fresh air. Hiccup told Toothless about all that had happened since the dragons left. Toothless would listen intently. If Hiccup was distressed or worried, Toothless would nuzzle his best friend. If Hiccup was explaining something excitedly, Toothless would perk up and give him a gummy smile.

The pair arrived at the forge, and Hiccup threw open the massive shutters and restarted the fire. With only two weeks until midsummer, Hiccup was busy making saddles and armor for the dragons. The saddles were not his best work, prioritizing functionality over comfort and style. Each saddle was made to keep the rider safe, but to also carry additional weapons if needed. Similarly, the dragon armor needed to be lightweight, cover the vulnerable spots on each dragon, and enhance the dragon's own natural abilities. As Hiccup was working on a saddle for a Raincutter and its rider, he noticed a familiar face passing by the forge.

"Eret!" he called, walking out of the forge. The ex-trapper stopped and turned, the Rumblehorn beside him also pausing.

"You're up early," Hiccup said.

"I'm always up early, chief," Eret replied, "always have."

"So, ah, how'd last night go?"

Eret rubbed the back of his neck with slight embarrassment. "Really well, actually. Kenna's mother's people have this tradition- handfasting- that is performed if they can't get to an elder. It's binding in her culture. Even though it might not be official by Berk's standards, as far as I'm concerned, Kenna is my wife."

"Congrats, man!" Hiccup clapped him on the back. "That commitment will be honored here, as well. You're not Berkian, Kenna's not Berkian. I would never ask you to conform to what we think is 'normal'. Hel, New Berk isn't normal!"

Gods knew that Hiccup was anything but normal. He was the first to train and ride a dragon, the first to integrate dragons into Berk's everyday lifestyle. He was constantly inventing new devices and tools to make life on Berk easier, rather than doing things the "traditional" way. He made Astrid his General, the first woman to hold a position of power in Berk's long history. He made a foreigner, let alone an ex-trapper, the master of ships. It never even crossed his mind to have Eret and Kenna get married according to Berk standards.

"So Skullcrusher and I are going to get her things," Eret continued. "Or should I wait? So we don't disturb you mother?"

Hiccup waved a hand dismissively. "She's always up early. Her and Cloudjumper like sunrise flights. Actually, she should be back by now."

"Alright, thanks mate!" Eret made to walk away.

"Wait, " Hiccup said, suddenly remembering, "I finished Skullcrusher's saddle and armor the other day. Got a few minutes to test it out?"

"Of course!" Eret said, bursting into a smile. Even Skullcrusher seemed excited. Instead of lumbering over to the two men, he trotted.

Hiccup and Eret, with some help from Toothless, pulled out a large leather saddle and some Gronckle Iron armor. The two men first lifted the saddle onto the large Rumblehorn, and Hiccup showed Eret how to secure it to the dragon. It was the same saddle that Eret had removed from Skullcrusher years ago, now with some additions.

"I kept the feel of it the same," Hiccup began as Eret climbed up and sat in the saddle's seat, "You had it made for what you like, so I didn't want to mess that up. I did streamline it some by removing the heavier and more decorative items. I still have them if you want to keep them. I also added in extra hooks and pockets for weapons. There are three different spots for daggers, all easily accessible," Hiccup pointed out the three shealths sewn into the leather. "Behind you is a rack for a hammer or axe, whichever you prefer. On your left is where a bow can be hung, and behind your right leg is a quiver for arrows. Need anything else?"

Eret moved around the seat, checking out the many features that Hiccup had shown him. He made sure that all of the pockets, racks, and extensions were within reach.

"Nah, chief. Feels good. Plenty of room, great flexibility. I'm happy with it," Eret told him.

"Great!" Hiccup smiled. "Could you help me with the armor? I want to show you how to put it on."

Eret slid down from the dragon's back and walked to where Hiccup was standing.

"Skullcrusher is already armored, so he really doesn't need too much," the chief started, pointing to the two large pieces. "It's really meant for intimidation or as its own weapon if needed. He's got a headpiece that will line his horns with blades. Rumblehorns are already terrifying when they come right at you, but now he's even more dangerous. He's also got an armor plated tailpiece." he gestures to the large metal object covered in spikes. "I am worried about how well he flies in it though. The tail piece is pretty heavy and I don't want it to affect how well he flies."

Hiccup instructed Eret on how to attach the armor using a series of leather straps and buckles. The end result gave the large green Rumblehorn an even more intimidating appearance. Hiccup and Eret stepped back and took it all in.

"I've got to say chief," the young trapper said, "you've really outdone yourself."

Hiccup rubbed the back of his neck, all but blushing at the praise.

"Thanks Eret. Why don't you do a quick flight with him to see how he copes?"

Eret climbed up into the saddle and nudged the large dragon with his knees, urging him to take off. Hiccup watched them rise higher into the sky and held up a hand to block the sun. The large dragon and his rider performed a series of aerial acrobatics before landing with a solid thud.

"How'd it feel?" Hiccup asked, checking the dragon and armor for any discomfort.

"Barely noticed it," Eret said, sliding down to the ground. "It didn't slow us down at all and Skullcrusher was just as agile as ever."

"Great! Let me make a few finishing touches and I'll have it sent over to your place. Do you still have your dragonscale armor?"

"Of course, chief."

"Great. Help me pull this back inside and I'll walk you down to Mom's."

The two men removed the armor pieces and pulled them back into the forge. Eret chose to leave Skullcrusher's saddle on, since he wanted to make sure that the dragon was re-accustomed to it and ready to go if needed. Hiccup closed the door to the forge and he and Eret made their way through town to Valka's house.

* * *

It was midday when Hiccup decided to leave the forge again for lunch. He had been working on saddles all afternoon, and his shoulders ached and his hands smelled like leather. He wanted to wash up, eat something, and kiss his wife. Kenna's words yesterday helped to calm his nerves about Astrid and their baby, but he still wanted to make sure everything was fine.

When he approached his house, he noticed Stormfly, Cloudjumper, and the Light Fury relaxing in the midday sun. Toothless bounded over to them and greeted each one in turn before settling down next to his mate and licking her snout. Hiccup smiled at the sign of affection. Toothless had been happy to spend time with Hiccup earlier in the day, but as time went on, the young man noticed that the dragon became more fidgety, eager to leave forge and spend time outside. Hiccup pushed open the large wooden door and was immediately greeted by the smell of food cooking. At the hearth, he noticed several fish and chickens roasting, and a small pot of something bubbling. The smell made his mouth water. At the large table near the fire Astrid, Kenna, and Valka were all seated, chatting amicably. At the sound of the door, all three women turned their heads.

"Hey babe!" Astrid greeted him warmly, standing from her chair and walking over to him. She pulled him down for what he thought would be a quick kiss, but it was more forceful than he expected, heated with Astrid's desire for more.

"Uh, hi," he replied, a little taken aback. "What's going on?"

"Kenna stopped by a little while ago to check in on me, and then your mom joined, so we just decided to cook lunch here."

"Well, it smells really good," he said, releasing Astrid's hips and examining what was in the pot.

""It's soup," Kenna said, "made from root vegetables and broth. It'll go well with the chicken and fish. It should be ready any moment now."

Kenna moved to check the roasting protein while Hiccup went to help Astrid pull out some dishes.

"How are you feeling?" he asked quietly.

"Great," she replied with a sly smile. "Kenna gave me the all clear earlier today. No nausea, no dizziness,no bleeding, and the baby is in the perfect position. She even said we're safe to resume _other activities_ if we wanted to."

"_Other activities_, huh?" he whispered as he followed her back to the table, plates in hand.

She winked and allowed her eyes to flick down for just a moment before she turned and set out bowls and cutlery. Hiccup smirked and let his eyes fall on his wife's rear end while his mind ran with possibilities.

"Food's ready!" Kenna's shout pulled Hiccup's attention from his own dirty thoughts to the emptiness in his stomach. He placed the plates onto the table and sat next to Astrid. Kenna and Valka brought over the steaming food and placed it on the table.

All four of them dug into their lunch eagerly. Hiccup couldn't help the little moan that escaped him. The food was delicious. He loved his wife and his mother, but neither of them could cook. Astrid was getting better at not burning anything, but her dishes often lacked seasoning.

"Good?" Kenna asked, taking another bite of fish.

"So good," Hiccup mumbled, his mouth full of food. "Eret is one lucky guy," he said after swallowing.

A blush crept up Kenna's face at his compliment. "Well, I really don't think it would be hard to impress him. He lived of smoked fish for about five years."

"By the way," Hiccup added, "I hear congratulations are in order."

Kenna's blush deepened.

"Congratulations? For what?" Astrid asked.

Kenna nodded to Hiccup, encouraging him to share and she turned her attention back to her food, clearly embarrassed.

"Uh, Kenna and Eret were wed last night," he informed his mom and Astrid.

"WHAT?!" Astrid shouted. "How? When? Why wasn't there a ceremony?"

"Well, it was private," Kenna said, tucking a loose strand of hair behind her ear, "we were handfast. We declared ourselves to each other in front of the Gods. He kind of sprung it on me. I wouldn't mind having a celebration later, maybe once all of this has died down. I also want my people to be present. My aunt is alive and she is the only family I have left."

"Well dear, I am very happy for you," Valka said, pulling the young woman in for a hug.

"I am too," Astrid added with a smile, "but I expect details."

Kenna blushed slightly and laughed. "Maybe some other time, we've got training to do."


	21. Chapter 21: Other Activities

CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE: OTHER ACTIVITIES

_Hiccup_

After lunch, Hiccup sat at his desk, looking over the plans for the island defenses, as well as some armor and saddle designs. Astrid had said that she wanted to wash and rest up a bit before training in the afternoon, and had gone upstairs to their room

Astrid had only been upstairs a minute or two, when Hiccup heard her call down:

"Babe, can you help me with the washbasin up here?"

"Be right up, milady," he shouting back, setting down the parchment and standing up. He made his way up the stairs and into their bedroom. He walked over to the washbasin, and was surprised to find it empty. The sound of the door closing caused him to turn around quickly. What he saw made his jaw drop in shock.

Astrid stood before him, and Hiccup's breath caught in his chest as desire flooded his mind and his body. She was radiant. She was completely naked and her hair was loose around her shoulders. Her hair caught the light of the afternoon sun, giving it the appearance of liquid gold. And although she was gravid with their child, he admired the strength of her body. Her thighs were toned with muscle, and her stomach was taught, looking as if she was only part way through her pregnancy, instead of nearing its end. Her breasts were high and full, pink nipples already hardened with arousal.

Hiccup took a few steps toward her, his throat dry. She walked forward and met him halfway, next to the base of their bed. He lifted his hand to caress her, but she pulled back with a mischievous glint in her eye. Silently, she pulled a fur off of their bed and let it pile on the ground at his feet, then knelt on the first and began to unlace his trousers with deft fingers.

"Astrid," Hiccup started, "you don't have to-"

"Shush. I want this," she said.

Hiccup closed his mouth and clenched his fists as Astrid pulled his hard length from the leather. He wanted so badly to touch her, to thread his fingers into her thick hair, and to fuck her mouth, but he kept still and refrained from touching her.

As he felt the wet heat of her mouth envelop him, his mouth fell open and he let out a small gasp. He screwed his eyes shut at the feeling, as Astrid stroked along the sensitive underside with her tongue. She moaned as her tongue brush his tip, tasting him. She tapped his thigh, and he looked down at her and nearly came on the spot. Blonde hair flowing down her back, breasts firm, her skin flushed with desire, pink lips wrapped around his cock.

She looked up at him through thick eyelashes, eyes dark and hungry. She worked her mouth all the way down his length, her nose touching the coarse hairs there. He let out a whimper as he felt her swallow around him, his cock bumping the back of her throat. His amazing wife never broke eye contact as she slid up and down his throbbing erection. And as sensual and wonderful as that felt, it was the dark look of desire, lust, and need burning in Astrid's blue eyes that nearly did him in.

Astrid alternated between licking his shaft and pulling him deep into her mouth. Hiccup couldn't contain his groans ad gasps, his knuckles turning white as he kept his hands balled into fists. Noticing his intense concentration, Astrid pulled away just for a moment.

"Babe, touch me."

Hiccup let out the breath he had been holding and placed both hands on her head. He wove the golden strands through his fingers and gripped tightly. Astrid moaned in response, the tugging on her scalp deepening her desire. Hiccup could smell her arousal in the air and knew that her thighs were soaked. The thought spurred him on and he tried to pump his hips. Astrid slowed him by placing both of her hands on his thighs. He stopped his thrusting, though jerked slightly when Astrid began pulling him deep down her throat faster than she had before. He was sweating, trying to hold out for her. She added her hand, stroking his length, while her mouth sucked and licked.

"Gods...Astrid…" he panted, feeling the pressure within him building. He felt his cock swell in her mouth, and she sucked hard.

His orgasm ripped through his body, and he grunted and gripped her head tighter. He couldn't stop the spasms that wracked his body as he emptied himself into her mouth, Astrid swallowing every drop.

She sat back on her heels and wiped her lips with her fingers, her middle finger catching on her bottom lip. She never broke eye contact with him. She pulled herself to her feet, her hands on his hips to assist her. Once she was standing, she wove her hands into his russet hair and pulled him in for a deep kiss. Hiccup moaned as she licked into his mouth. He could faintly taste himself on her, and he wrapped his arms around her tightly.

"Milady, that was completely unfair to do that to me," he whispered, resting his forehead on hers.

"Well, you can repay the favor if you want," she replied huskily.

He reached down between her legs with one hand and groaned when he found her wet and ready.

"Gods, Astrid, you're practically dripping."

He gently rubbed at her clit for a moment and then dipped two long fingers into her tight channel. He pumped in and out lazily, thumb brushing against the tight bundle of nerves, watching her gasp and moan, eyes closing. She whined when he suddenly removed them. Hiccup watched his wife's gaze darken as he pulled his fingers into his mouth and licked her arousal off of each one. Astrid watched his mouth and lips work, licking her own distractedly.

Hiccup nodded to the bed, giving Astrid a calculated smirk.

"Go sit on the bed."

Astrid narrowed her eyes at him, but did as he said, and sat on the bed, her legs hanging off the edge. Hiccup eyed her and removed his armor, quickly followed by his shirt. Astrid was watching him with a hunger, chewing on her bottom lip.

He bent down and grasped her face in his large hands. He lowered his mouth to hers and kissed her passionately, swallowing her gasp. Gently, he began to push her back onto the bed. Once she was laying down, he pulled away from her mouth. He kissed her neck, then each nipple, and her belly. He could feel Astrid panting, and her fingers gripped the furs beneath her. He knelt on the furs that Astrid had pulled off of the bed and placed her legs over his shoulders. He kissed one ankle, then the other and lowered his mouth to her burning center. Astrid shivered when she felt his hot breath on her core. Hiccup wasted no time and immediately latched onto her clit and began to flick it with his tongue. Astrid cried out with pleasure and rolled her hips against his tongue. She keened loudly when he thrust his tongue into her slit. He moaned inwardly as her sweet taste invaded his senses. He alternated between firm flicks and soft licks, groaning when felt Astrid start to tighten her thighs around his ears. He placed a hand on the inside of her thighs and opened her legs wider. Astrid let out a soft "ah", and he renewed his attack with increased vigor. He attacked the swollen bundle of nerves in the center of her sex; sucking, nipping, and lapping at it. He had every inch of her exposed to him, he thighs spread wide open by his firm hands. As he thrust his tongue in and out of her, he felt her try to tighten her legs, but his own strong arms kept her from moving. Astrid thrashed on the bed, panting and uttering small snippets of his name. He was drunk on her, the taste of her on his tongue, the smell of her arousal in the room, and the sounds she made; panting, gasping, cursing. He was complete hard again now, his own cock leaking with need. He brushed her clit with his nose while licking a firm stripe up and into her slit, when she snapped with no warning. She shouted into the afternoon, her hips rocking against him, riding his tongue. Her taste flooded his tongue and he groaned at the heady taste of her. He didn't let up, working her through her orgasm, drawing it out.

"Hiccup...Babe...I need you." Her voice was breathy as she panted around her words.

"Hmm?" he hummed into her center.

"Ah!" she exclaimed at the feeling. "I need you...inside me…"

"Mm-mm," he replied, shaking his head no and increasing his grip on her thighs. She had released something in him that he didn't realize he needed: control. He was scared for everything that was heading their way, knowing he had no control over what could be coming, but here in their bedroom was something he could control. He could control her; her orgasms, her need, her arousal.

Astrid started panting and shaking as he quickly worked her to another orgasm, having not come down from the prior one. He released his hand from her thighs and grasped under ass, lifting her slightly, giving him a better angle. He latched onto her bud, suckling it hard between his lips while flicking it with his tongue. He could feel her walls fluttering around nothing, desperate to be filled. Astrid whined with need, and the sound made Hiccup throb painfully. She begged for release, pleas dripping from her mouth. He felt her tighten, a spasm rippling through her muscles, and he knew she was at the edge. He grazed his teeth against her aching nub, and she came explosively. She arched off of the bed, her mouth open in a silent scream. He continued working her, though more gently now. Astrid cursed and gasped, trying to push him away with her legs. He sat back on his heels and watched the scene before him. Her body thrashed on the bed, one hand gripping the furs so tight, her knuckles were white, the other squeezing her breast hard enough to leave indentations of her fingers. It was the most erotic thing he had seen since they were first married.

"Fucking fuck!" Astrid cursed as aftershock after aftershock courses through her body. Her breaths were ragged, but she still managed to challenge him with a mischievous smile.

"That the best you got, Haddock?"

Hiccup felt his balls tighten at her words. She wanted more. Gods, this woman was insatiable!

"Not even close," he growled, his own lust making his voice deeper. He rolled Astrid over onto her knees, and she rested her chest and face on the bed, her backside in the air.

He shoved her legs apart with his knees, still lightly trailing his hand over her creamy skin. He grabbed himself with his left hand, coated his length in her slick, and drove himself inside of her tight channel, his pelvis coming flush to her ass. Astrid gasped and let her head fall forward, golden hair flowing over one shoulder, revealing the slim column of her neck. Hiccup pulled out slowly, then thrust himself back in firmly, loving the way her ass and thighs rippled.

He set a steady pace, not too face, but with firm, heavy strokes, bottoming out each time he entered her. This sounds of Astrid's moans and gasps filed his own desire, making him want to drive her into the bed and fill her up. But he had promised to give her his best, so he kept his pace. He gripped her hips tightly, his fingers leaving marks on her pale skin. Astrid met him with each trust, trying to take him deeper.

"Gods babe, I need more…" she moaned back to him, but he kept his pace, wanting to make her beg for him again. She clenched around him, making him falter for just a moment, before he thrust back in, choosing to keep her guessing instead. He alternated between shallow and deep, fast and slow, pumping and grinding. Each time he felt her walls begin to flutter, he would change tactics, causing Astrid to groan each time. He brought her right to the edge, before pulling her back again and again.

"Hiccup!" she shouted, pushing her hips back onto him hard, trying to encourage him to go faster, deeper. The young chief decided to give his lady everything she wanted. He pounded into her fast and hard. He reached around her belly, feeling for the point where they met, and pressed on her clit firmly with two fingers. Astrid keened, her breaths ragged and quick, and she uttered broken words of his name.

"Hic..ah! Babe! I'm...I'm gonna...! Hiccup! Yes! Fuck!"

As he felt a familiar tightening deep in his stomach, he pinched the firm nub, coaxing out her orgasm. She buried her face deep into the furs, screaming and cursing as she clenched tightly around him. He felt her walls flutter and pulse around him, her body trying to pull him in and push him out all at the same time, leading to his finish. His vision went white, and it felt like his heart stopped. His hips stuttered and he pumped into her, pushing his release deep inside.

The silence that followed was only broken by the sound of them panting, willing their hearts to slow. Hiccup withdrew himself from Astrid and flopped down on the bed next to her. Both of them were only half on the bed, laying at haphazard angles. Astrid turned her face toward his, and the two of them broke into giggles, quickly followed by full belly laughs.

"Oh, Gods," Astrid said, covering her face, "I can't believe we just did THAT!"

"You-you started it!" Hiccup said, giving her a small nudge.

Astrid shrugged, rolling onto her side, closer to him. "I guess I really can't complain."

"Yeah. I'm pretty sure they heard you all the way down at the docks. There's no way I'm going to be able to walk through town."

"No way YOU can face them?" she challenged, giving him a shove, "I have to go train with them!"

Hiccup started laughing again, causing Astrid to scowl at him playfully. He retaliated by pulling her face toward his, attacking her with kisses, delaying their afternoon plans for just a few more minutes.


	22. Chapter 22: the Gift

CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO: THE GIFT

_Kenna_

After lunch, Kenna returned to her new home to change for training. Eret had collected her things from Valka's home and had stored them in her own chest in their bedroom. While she still had many of Astrid's clothes, she had also accumulated some items of her own. She had purchased a couple of dresses, some leggings, underthings, boots, and her own set of heavy leather pauldrons. She changed into a teal, sleeveless dress that fell to the middle of her thighs and a pair of blue leggings. She topped the outfit with her new dark leather pauldrons, leather vambraces, and a leather belt with a bronze owl (a gift from Eret). She pulled her hair into a thick braid, put on her boots, grabbed her weapons, and left their home. She let out a long, loud whistle for Moon, and the white dragon came into view quickly. She watched as her friend sailed down the cliff face and gracefully landed in front of her.

"Hi girl," Kenna whispered, stroking the Light Fury's face. Moon crooned, and then began to sniff her intently.

"I know, I know," the young woman replied, trying to push Moon's large head away. "I know I smell different. Last night… Well, last night, Eret and I were mated."

Moon instantly stopped her sniffing and looked up at her companion.

"Don't look at me like that! You know we've been spending more time together! Besides, I never gave you any grief when you would go off with Toothless. He's your mate, just like Eret is mine."

The Light Fury's disgruntled expression didn't change.

"What do you want me to say? I'm sorry? Well, I'm not. I love Eret. You know that. You also know that I was not a virgin. Eret was sweet and kind and made sure that he was gentle with me. Last night was perfect." Kenna sighed, her mind replaying their oaths to each other.

The white dragon seemed to accept what Kenna was saying and quietly chortled and nudged her.

"Oh, so you were kidding?" Kenna asked, mounting in front of the dragon's wings. "Yeah right, girl. I know you better than that. You're upset I've been spending time with someone else."

In response, Kenna received a slap to the face from a white ear flap.

"Well, if you wanted to spend time together, maybe you should have come around instead of hiding in the woods!" And with a final growl, Moon leapt into the air and the pair made their way to the training grounds.

* * *

Kenna landed in the clearing where Valka and Cloudjumper were already there.

"Good afternoon dear," Valka said as the team landed and dismounted. "What will we have everyone work on today?"

"I'm pretty happy with the way a lot of them have been flying, but I think they could also use a bit more trust; with each other, with their dragons, and with the others' dragons."

"I agree. Did you have anything in mind?"

"Actually, I wanted to start off by having them work on dragon calls, and then finish up with some trust exercises and wing-walking."

"That sounds like an excellent plan. I know many of the dragons don't come unless their called by name, and shouts only carry so far."

Kenna nodded, and scratched Cloudjumper under the chin as the other riders began to arrive.

"So what are we doing today lady bosses?" Tuffnut asked, leaning back in his saddle.

"Trust," replied Kenna, loud enough for all of the riders to hear her. "It's crucial that you trust your dragons enough to know that they will come if you call them. There may be a time when you need to fight without them, but you will still want them to be able to be there when you need them. And the first step is making sure that your dragon can hear and find you. So, the first part is to work on a distinct dragon call."

There were mutters as the vikings all looked around at each other.

"Can't we just shout their name?" Fishlegs asked.

"Our voices don't carry as well as other sounds do, like a whistle or a roar," Valka explained, stepping up next to Kenna. "We need to be prepared for a situation where your dragon wouldn't hear or identify a shout."

Kenna nodded in response as she noticed Astrid approaching the training space, her cheeks flushed, a knowing smile on her lips.

"Astrid," she called to her friend, "where is Stormfly right now?"

"No idea," Astrid said, walking through the group of riders to where Kenna and Valka stood, "probably fishing."

"Do you have a call for her?"

"Of course." Astrid lifted her fingers to her lips and let out a long whistle that changed pitch to a higher note at the very end.

They waited for a few moments, the dragon riders all looking around for Stormfly. After just a few seconds, there was a shrill screech and the blue Nadder appeared over the tops of the trees and landed nexter to her rider.

Kenna smiled as Astrid scratched Stormfly's chin, praising her.

"That's what we're talking about. If Astrid had just yelled, Stormfly probably wouldn't have heard her. Go ahead and come up with a dragon call that you and your dragon can agree on, then hide somewhere and call them. Meet back here once you feel ready to move on." Kenna and Valka watched as a dozen or so pairs of colorful wings lifted into the air as the dragons and their riders spread out across New Berk to practice their dragon calls.

Once the last of them vanished from her eye-line, Kenna turned to Astrid and Valka. "I'm going to fly around the island to see how everyone's doing. Astrid, why don't you go for an easy ride on Stormfly? I know she misses flying with you."

"Cloudjumper and I will also check in," Valka said, mounting the large Stormcutter and taking off.

"Do you really think it's safe?" Astrid asked as she covered her belly protectively with her hands. "Hiccup is convinced that we'll get hurt if I ride Stormfly."

Kenna turned to the pregnant woman and looked her in the eyes with kindness and sincerity. "Riding Stormfly won't hurt you or your baby. Obviously, falling is a risk, but if you go gently, I'm sure you'll stay safe. The only change you might want to make is to try sitting side-saddle, having your legs on either side might hurt your hips and cause some discomfort. I really think that a flight might help you relax, you've been through a lot over the past few weeks. And Stormfly misses you."

As if in response to Kenna's comment, Stormfly nudged Astrid gently and looked up at her with pleasing eyes.

Astrid let a whispered laugh escape, and scratched under the blue dragon's chin. "Alright girl, let's go get your saddle, maybe Hiccup can alter it to make it side-saddle."

Stormfly chirped and flapped her wings excitedly.

"I'll come with you," said Kenna, "I wanted to stop by the forge today anyways."

* * *

"No."

Hiccup's voice was firm as he responded to Astrid's request.

"But babe, Kenna said it's perfectly safe."

"Astrid," he said, his tone dropping with concern, "I don't want to risk it. You were hurt yesterday, and it terrified me. Please milady, give it just another few days."

Kenna looked around the forge, admiring Hiccup's work as the other two spoke. She was able to hear their discussion, but by walking away, she hoped it gave the couple a sense of privacy.

"Hiccup, I need this for me. Yes, I was hurt yesterday, but everything is completely fine," Astrid said, taking Hiccup's face in her hands. "The baby is fine, I am fine. I need to feel the wind again. I feel like I'm trapped in my own body, and it kills me. I understand that you feel like you need to protect us, but I'm a viking and a dragon rider. Please let me have this. I promise it will be a gentle, leisurely flight, and we'll stay low. And if it would make you feel better, add a harness or belt so that I can clip myself to the saddle."

"Astrid-" he whispered, the conflict evident on his face. He wanted to give his wife what she asked, but he also felt the need to protect them. He rested his forehead against hers and sighed. "Ok, I'll modify Stormfly's saddle so that you can fly. But for my sake, could you please have Kenna join you? I would feel so much better knowing that you're not alone."

Kenna smiled as Astrid's grin lit up her face and she wrapped her arms around Hiccup's neck. "Thank you babe, thank you!"

Even Stormfly was excited by Hiccup's assent. The Nadder chirped and squawked with glee, prancing in a circle.

"Ok, ok! Give me ten minutes to modify the saddle," he said, also smiling. "Kenna, I have something for you." He grabbed a small parcel off of his work desk, and gave it to Kenna. It was surprisingly heavy, wrapped in leather, and tied with twine.

Kenna glanced up at Hiccup, confused. His was grinning excitedly and nodded at her, encouraging her to open it. Kenna peeled back the leather to find _something _covered in white, iridescent scales. Kenna let the leather fall, holding up the item.

"It's dragon scale armor," Hiccup said, turning to work on Stormfly's saddle. "I made it from Moon's scales that she shed. All of the riders have their own armor. I didn't have quite enough time to make yours as detailed as theirs, but I figured since you're one of us, you should-"

Kenna had been running her fingertips over the smooth scales while Hiccup rambled on. The scales shone with pink and blue iridescence. He had taken the time to gather Moon's scales and form them into a breastplate, skirt, pauldrons, bracers, knee pads, and boots. There was also leggings and form-fitting tunic made of leather so pale, it was white. Kenna's eyes brimmed with tears and she ran to Hiccup, wrapping her arms around him, causing him to drop the leather he had been working on.

"Thank you," she whispered, unable to convey her gratitude at everything the Berk Chief had done for her. Not only had he saved her from isolation, he had made her welcome in his village, given her clothes and a place to stay, and now had taken an inordinate amount of time and effort to make her something that was not only useful, but beautiful as well.

"Oh.. Um, you're welcome," Hiccup stuttered, surprised. "There's a really neat aspect about your armor that I'd like to show you," he said, pulling away from her.

Kenna passed the armor back to him. He walked out of the forge, and held it up in front of Moon. "Think you can help me out?" he asked the dragon.

Moon tilted her head to one side, as if considering her options, before firing a small pink blast directly at the armor. Kenna shouted in shock as her friend tried to destroy her brand new gift. But when she saw the result, she stopped.

The armor had turned completely reflective, just as the Light Furies do when they fly through their own plasma blasts. Kenna was confused for only a moment when she remembered that the armor was made of Moon's scales. Sure enough, as the armor cooled, the armor's reflectiveness faded, and it returned to its white color.

"Yeah. I figured that neat trick out on Toothless a few years ago," Hiccup said, passing the armor back to Kenna.

Kenna cradled the still warm armor in her hands. "Thank you, truly." She ran her fingers over the leather and then snapped her eyes up to Hiccup. "How did you get the leather to reflect too?"

Hiccup grinned with an air of self-satisfaction. "It's coated in crushed dragon scales and dragon saliva, painted onto leather. Exactly the same as Toothless's tail."

"Amazing," Kenna whispered, inspecting the armor further. She found a handful of small sheaths tucked throughout the armor, some already armed with small, sharp daggers. As she pulled out the belt to examine it, her eyes widened in awe. Hiccup had made a buckle and carved it with the image of a Light Fury's face. The lines were curved and soft, and Kenna ran her fingers over it, overwhelmed by the generous and personal gift. The belt had a scabbard for her sword on the left side, as well as a sheath on the back for yet another dagger. Hiccup also passed her a quiver made of leather and also coated in Moon's scales, already packed full of arrows. Kenna couldn't stop the overwhelming feeling of acceptance and support that bloomed in her chest. She had been isolated for so long, that she had forgotten what it was like to have close human friends.

"It was my idea," Astrid said, arms crossed with a broad smile on her face. "I told him you needed your own set of armor, if you're going to fight with us."

Kenna pushed down the tears that threatened to fall, and wrapped them both in a crushing hug.

"Thank you so much, for everything." Kenna stepped back and looked at the chief and chieftess. "Not only have you made me feel welcomed, you've made me feel at home."

"Come on," Astrid said, lightly punching Kenna lightly in the shoulder, "we've got to make sure all those knuckle-heads are actually working."

* * *

Kenna and Astrid flew across the island, just skimming the trees, watching and listening for the other riders. They enjoyed the afternoon breeze and Kenna smiled as she watched Astrid and Stormfly. Hiccup had made Astrid a harness that attached to Stormfly's saddle, so that if Astrid were to fall, the straps around her upper body would catch her. Astrid had decided to sit side-saddle, staying that it was easier on her hips. At the moment, Astrid was reclining on the blue dragon's back, her back supported by Stormfly's neck, Astrid's feet pointing toward the tail.

"This is amazing," Astrid said, her voice calm. "I missed this." Stormfly chirped in reply, happy to be flying again with her rider.

"I told you it would do you some good," Kenna said. "When you're happy, your baby is happy."

"Oh this baby is definitely happy," Astrid responded, placing a hand on her belly. "I think he may have fallen asleep."

Kenna's gaze flicked down below. She could see (and hear) the twins calling to Barf and Belch, who ultimately got their necks twisted trying to get to the opposite rider.

"You think it's a boy?" Kenna asked, her eyes still roving the ground below her.

Astrid sat herself up. "I honestly have no idea. I craved salty foods a few months ago, but now all I want now it sweets!"

"I'm sorry to say, but you're just going to have to wait!"

The flew in silence for a few moments, just enjoying the sun and the wind, before Kenna turned to Astrid again.

"What's it like?" Kenna asked quietly.

"Being pregnant?"

Kenna nodded, a blush creeping up her cheeks.

"I thought you kinda were. Um, back when-" she trailed off, clearly uncomfortable bringing up Kenna's past.

"I was, but I lost it not long after I arrived in the Hidden World. I didn't even get to feel it move." Kenna's voice was quiet, just loud enough for Astrid to hear over the rushing wind. There was a sense of sadness in her tone, but the sound of relief as well.

"Oh. Well, it's kind of hard to sum up the feeling," Astrid said. "At first, I felt awful. The smell of anything cooking would make me nauseous. At first, I thought I was sick, but then I noticed that feeling only happened with certain smells or if I ate certain foods. Once I miss my second moon cycle, I was certain I was pregnant. The feeling of being sick didn't last long, maybe a moon or two, and then I felt normal. I had energy, I was able to train, and that initial feeling of worry and fear faded into excitement. And then when I felt the baby move, it-it was just the best feeling in the world." She placed her hand on her stomach and gently caressed the life inside. "The best I could describe it would be like if you had a tiny fish inside of you. It was just a small little roll or bump, then it was gone. And each time it happened, you would pray for it to happen again. And those movements got stronger and came more frequently, and it was like I could actually feel this baby growing inside of me. And then Hiccup was able to feel the kicks. Gods, I don't think I've ever seen him that excited. Definitely not since he lost his dad or since Toothless left." She got quiet for a moment, her face pensive and sorrowful at the mention of the dragons departure. "But now the kicks are so often and so hard that they sometimes hurt or wake me up at night. I can't get comfortable and I just feel useless all the time! I am so ready to get this kid out!"

Kenna chuckled, "they will be out before you know it, and then you'll miss the feeling."

They searched the island as the sun began its descent into the West. Of the dozen or so dragon riders, many were demonstrating skill in calling their dragons. Fishlegs was playing hide-and-find with Meatlug, using his dragon call to have her find him. Spitelout's dragon call was a loud trill that could be heard clear across the island. Phlegma the Fierce sang out a loud, loud note that carried and reverberated off of the mountains. And Silent Sven simply screeched for his Monstrous Nightmare.

Kenna and Astrid landed on the training grounds and were quickly joined by Valka and the rest of the riders, as well as Hiccup and Eret and Toothless and Skullcrusher.

"Great job," Kenna said with a smile. "We could hear you dragon calls from anywhere on the island. They were loud and distinctive, really nice work."

The riders looked around at each other smiling, and gave their dragons rewarding and grateful pats.

"The next think we want to work on is trust. Your dragon trusts you, but do you trust your dragon? If you fall, you need to trust that your dragon will catch you. So our last exercise today is a trust fall." Kenna grinned impishly as she turned on her heel and ran for the edge of the cliff. Without hesitating, she leapt off of it, free falling toward the sea below.

Instandly, the dragons leapt into the air and flew over the edge of the cliff, ready to try to dive and catch her, but she was already some ways down. As several of the riders, dove for her, the familiar whistle of a Night Fury stopped them in the air. A white streak flashed in front of them, screaming down the side of the the cliff. With plenty of space still between Kenna and the sea, the Light Fury positioned herself underneath Kenna, and opened her wings, carrying them up into the air and back to the clearing. Valka and Astrid were sharing similar knowing smiles, while Eret's was a mask of horror. He and Skullcrusher landed next to her, where he leapt off the dragon and pulled her in a crushing embrace.

"Gods, don't you ever do that again," he gasped. "I was terrified!"

Kenna laughed. "Eret, I'm alright! It's just a little trick I learned from Hiccup and Toothless. I was never in any danger, Moon and I have been practising."

"Just warn a guy next time, eh? I'm fairly sure I pissed myself."

Kenna gave him a playful nudge as she turned back to the other riders, all eyes wide with shock. "Any questions?"


	23. Chapter 23: Ready

**CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE: READY**

_Hiccup_

Hiccup awoke to the sound of warbling. He opened his eyes and turned toward the window in their bedroom. Blocking the morning sun was a very large Night Fury head hanging upside-down from the roof. Hiccup let out a quiet huff of laughter, amused by his old friend. He quickly pulled on his prosthetic and a pair of trousers before walking over to the open window.

"Hey bud, what's up?" he whispered, so as not to disturb his sleeping wife. She had kept him up much later than normal. Although the later than normal was almost every night, now that Kenna had said it was safe for them to have sex. Nearly every day Astrid wanted him. He had, of course, been happy to oblige, but he also knew that Astrid tended to sleep late after they had been intimate.

Toothless licked his lips and wiggled excitedly, eyes big and bright. He gave his wings a little flap, and Hiccup knew what he wanted.

"Wanna go for a morning flight, don't you bud?"

Toothless wiggled in excitement, his grin growing.

"Ok, ok! I'll meet you outside as soon as I get dressed."

He pulled on the rest of his clothes, scratched out a quick note to Astrid ('Gone flying, then status report with Fishlegs, Gobber, and Eret. Love you), placed it on his pillow, and gently kissed Astrid on the forehead. She mumbled something in her sleep, then rolled over, the furs falling to reveal one pale shoulder. Hiccup smiled to himself, thinking that he was the luckiest man in the world to not only be married to Astrid, but to have her love him, desire him- a one-legged fishbone who prefers inventing over fighting.

He left his house, shutting the heavy door behind him quietly. Toothless was in front of him, sitting on the grass, tongue hanging out of his large mouth.

"Hey bud," Hiccup said, rubbing his best friend's face affectionately, before climbing on the dragon's back. Hiccup had barely gotten a leg in front of each wing joint before Toothless shot into the air, pulling them into the clouds with each beat of his wings.

"Easy, bud!" Hiccup shouted over the wind. He struggled to stay upright on the dragon's back. He had nothing to hold onto, and his pants slipped on the cool scales. So he wrapped his arms around Toothless's neck and spoke into his ear. "Toothless, level out. I'm about to fall off."

Toothless obeyed, slowing his speed, and leveling out. As Hiccup sat himself up, the dragon looked over his shoulder with concern and cooed.

"I might have to make you a saddle too, bud. You're too fast to not have anything to hold onto."

Toothless chortled in agreement, bobbing his head.

The two flew in silence, enjoying the cooler morning air. Hiccup patted Toothless on the neck as his mind turned to the near future, and the war they would have to fight. He desperately wanted to keep everyone safe; his home, his tribe, and the dragons, but he wasn't sure if he could. They didn't know where the threat was heading. There were too many variables at play. They didn't know if Drago's armada was heading for Berk or for the Hidden World. They didn't know when they would need to fight. They didn't know WHAT they were going to fight. Kenna had told him what she knew of, but things could have changed since then. Drago could have more ships, more weapons. As his mind reeled with possibilities and plans, Toothless emitted a low rumble underneath him.

"What is it, bud?" Hiccup asked quietly. His eyes skimmed the horizon for ships, and the skies for dragon scouts. He let out a breath of relief when he saw a sleek, white figure emerge from the clouds. Toothless cooed at his mate, who purred in response.

"Morning!" Kenna said from the Light Fury's back, her raid hair flowing behind her.

"Good morning!" Hiccup responded. "What brings you up here today?"

"Just wanted to enjoy a nice flight with Moon. I think she's jealous I've been spending time with someone other than her!" In response, Moon flicked Kenna in the face with an ear flap. "Argh! Fine, I'm sorry! I'll set aside more time just for us, okay girl?" The whote dragon liked that answer, performing a little dip in the air and warbling.

"I think Toothless is feeling the same way," Hiccup said, rubbing the dragon's head, "Someone woke me up this morning for a flight, and then nearly knocked me off his back, he was going so fast!" Toothless grumbled an apology, looking over his shoulder at his friend. "It's alright bud, no need to be sorry."

As they flew, Hiccup told Kenna all about the armor and saddles he had made for the dragons. "Each set of armor is going to improve the dragon's natural ability," he said. "It's not going to slow them down since it's made out of Gronckle Iron, but it will definitely protect them from arrows and most other weapons. Not to mention that they all look more fierce and terrifying with the battle helms."

"Did you make armor for Toothless?" Kenna asked.

Hiccup shook his head. "Toothless's advantage is speed and agility, so I don't want to hinder that at all. Plus he has the ability to vanish, and I don't know how the armor would inhibit that."

Kenna nodded in understanding, her expression conveying her admiration for his ideas.

"Well, I need to head out," Hiccup said, "I have meetings with Gobber, Fishlegs, and Eret this morning. I'd like to get a status report from you, mom, and Astrid this afternoon as well." Once he received Kenna's confirmation, he and Toothless turned and headed back toward New Berk.

* * *

When Hiccup landed in the center of the village, he found it bustling with mid-morning activity. Vikings and dragons were moving about; gathering supplies, fortifying their homes, or sharpening their weapons. The usual sound of laughter and joy was now replaced with a low buzz of anxiety. Midsummer had passed just a few days ago, and with it, everyone's mind had turned toward what was to come.

Hiccup and Toothless walked through town back to Hiccup's house. Since the meeting was relatively small, they had elected to meet there as opposed to the Great Hall. When his front door came into sight, he saw Meatlug and Grump watching as one of Meatlug's hatchlings tried to convince Skullcrusher to play. He remained still as the young Gronckle ran around him, climbed on top of him, and chewed on his tail. While the Rumblehorn wasn't responding to the young dragon, Hiccup noticed an air of amusement coming from him. His eyes were bright as he watched the little one with intensity. Hiccup thought to himself that he wouldn't be surprised if he found them playing together later.

Hiccup walked into his home and was greeted by the three large men seated at his table.

"Mornin' Hiccup!" Gobber said jovially.

"Morning Gobber," Hiccup replied with a smile. "Is Astrid still here?"

"You just missed her chief," Eret replied. "She said she wanted us to let you know that she's going for a walk before heading to training."

"Alright." Hiccup took a seat at the table and grabbed a piece of parchment and a piece of charcoal for notes. "So, I'd like to get a status report. I want to know how prepared we are. What do we have done, what still needs to be done. Fishlegs, what have you got?"

Fishlegs pulled out a few pieces of parchment and laid them out on the table. "The Boulder Class dragons have been really hard at work fortifying the island. We've created stone barriers in each inlet and bay, so that ships can't get too close. We're prepared to collapse the stairways and tunnels if need be. And we've created caverns and tunnels for protection should Drago's armada make it onto the island. I know we had discussed making a maze, but I decided to just have one deep tunnel that feeds to a large cavern. There is only one way in or out. I thought it best that we don't have the villagers getting lost. The tunnels are reinforced with stone pillars so that if we need to seal the tunnel opening, the cavern and the tunnel won't collapse on itself."

"Good thinking, Fishlegs," Hiccup replied, happy that the normally quiet and shy man was handling his role so well. Hiccup agreed that having only one tunnel would be best. It would be easier to defend, and easier to get everyone inside. "What are your plans to defend it?" he asked.

"Meatlug and I will stay behind if the Hidden World is attacked," he said firmly. "We're not the best fighters and we would only slow everyone down. I've asked a few others to stay and help if we need to get everyone to safety." Hiccup nodded in agreement. "Right now, we're working on fortifying the buildings. We're using Gronckle Iron where we can, and we're building pillars out of stone for watch towers and turrets."

"Great," Hiccup responded. "Gobber, how are the weapons coming?"

"Alright," the one handed-man said. "Although it'd be a lot easier if the twins weren't sneakin' in an' messing around!"

Hiccup smiled. "I'll try to keep them occupied," he said, "but you know how they are."

"Aye, I do. An' even though they cause chaos, they surprised me an' came up with some pretty interestin' ideas."

Hiccup looked at him with a confused expression. The blacksmith pulled out some crumpled pieces of parchment covered in rough sketches.

"We already had planned to put up catapults, but the twins had the idea of covering the boulders in Nightmare gel."

Hiccup leaned closer, already guessing where Gobber was going with the statement.

"Then lighting 'em before they launch, sending flaming hunks o' rock through the sky!"

Hiccup nodded enthusiastically. The idea of implementing the Monstrous Nightmare's flammable secretions with the weapons is one he had been thinking about while working on the dragon armor.

"But then one of 'em said: 'what if we made them explode?' I kicked 'em out before they could cause anymore damage, but the idea stuck with me, and I made this." He pulled another sketch to the front. It displayed the image of what looked like a large projectile that was hollow in the middle.

"It's a clay pot, covered in Nightmare gel and filled with Zippleback gas, and then sealed. When the pot is cracked or broken on impact, the flaming gel will ignite the Zippleback gas, causing it to explode, sending flaming shards in all directions."

"Gobber, that's amazing!" Hiccup said, impressed.

"There's more," the large man continued, pulling yet another diagram forward. "We've got over a dozen ballistas mounted at key points around the island, and we've armed them with harpoons and nets, depending on what we need. I've got teams that have volunteered to man each one if the time comes. I've also figured out how to arm some o' the dragons. I added mounted crossbows to some of the saddles of the slower dragons. And then I strung a chain between the Zippleback heads."

"What?" Hiccup was bewildered "How could that help?"

"Again, the twins gave me that idea. They had a rope between Barf and Belch, and they were successfully knocking people of their dragons with it. I thought I might be worth a shot to try out in a fight."

"It sounds crazy, but I've seen crazier ideas work," Hiccup said. "These plans are good. How many do you have made?"

"Everything is already made. Only thing left to work on is making more of the exploding pots."

"Wow Gobber, good work!" Hiccup then turned his attention to Eret.

"Nothin big from me," he said. "All of the trappers have armed their ships and are ready to attack at sea when they're needed."

"Great," Hiccup said firmly. "Thanks for meeting me guys. I think we're about as ready as we can be."


	24. Chapter 24: The Sentry

**CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR: THE SENTRY**

_Hiccup_

Hiccup and Astrid made their way through the village to their home as the sun neared the horizon. They had met earlier afternoon, joined by Kenna and Valka to discuss the readiness of the dragons and riders. Kenna and Astrid had agreed that there wasn't much left to teach them, having grown as warriors and dragons riders, perfectly capable of protecting each other and the village. Valk had confirmed that all of the dragons were healthy, some of them having honed their skills enough to be close to reaching 'Titan Wing' stage. The most surprising being Snotlout and Hookfang. While their training had begun on shaky ground, once they had re-established their bond and trust for each other, both had improved dramatically. Snotlout was skilled with almost any weapon, and he was comfortable fighting on the ground in the air, often changing between the two seamlessly. Hookfang had grown considerably in size, now towering over the other dragons. His colors were more vibrant, bright reds and oranges mottled with deep black patterning. When he was outfitted in his armor, the sight was terrifying. The Monstrous Nightmare was stronger and faster than ever, and his firepower and range had increased tenfold. He and Snotlout still annoyed each other relentlessly, but they were unstoppable when it came to performance.

Toothless had also improved since arriving back on Berk. His fins were larger, giving him increased agility and maneuverability. He was considerably faster, the wind often stinging Hiccup's eyes and ears. He had made himself a simple saddle to keep him attached to Toothless, but said dragon had destroyed it, instead pulling out the old saddle and tail fin that Hiccup had made years ago, looking up at his friend bashfully. Hiccup had laughed loudly, pulling his old friend in for a hug. He had refit the tail and saddle to accommodate Toothless's larger size and skills. Hiccup had repainted the tail, coating it in a mixture of Toothless's scales and saliva, before painting his trademark insignia in red at the very tip of the tail fin.

Hiccup had also made a saddle for Kenna and Moon. It was simple, sleek, and comfortable, purely made for function. The whole saddle was painted with Moon's shimmering scales, knowing that the two would be using her ability to vanish as an advantage. Hiccup had also included a quiver for arrows, as well as a scabbard for a sword and dagger. Kenna had been delighted in it, hugging him tightly before convincing the wild dragon to wear it and shooting into the sky, testing it with a series of impressive acrobatics.

Hiccup had been impressed at how well Astrid and Kenna worked together. They often tossed around ideas, the end result far better than what other had suggested originally. He was happy that Astrid had found such a good friend in Kenna, and that Kenna had found a friend in Astrid.

He placed his hand on the small of Astrid's back, guiding her as they climbed the steps to their own home. She leaned on him heavily, no doubt drained physically and mentally from the day's activities.

They found Toothless and Stormfly curled up by the hearth when they opened the large oak door. The main living space was plenty large enough to accommodate the dragons, and they had spent evenings together before the dragons left to rest with their own mates. Stormfly never went far from Astrid though, choosing to roost on the roof instead of with the other dragons. She had begun this last Thor's Day and Hiccup found the behavior strange, since Stormfly had always gone to sleep with the , he was grateful that Astrid had someone watching out for her.

As he gently kissed his wife before heading up to their room to undress for bed, Toothless lifted his head suddenly, ear flaps raised in alarm.

"Bud?" Hiccup asked, "Everything ok?"

Having not heard Hiccup, Toothless leapt to his feet and out their front door, tearing into the dusk.

He turned back to Astrid, his green eyes showing his bewilderment. Astrid looked back at him, confused, but also with a spark of something more. Fear.

"Go," she told him, "Follow him." She nodded to the door that the alpha had just raced through.

He took a breath as if to argue, then thought better of it before kissing her forehead and running through the open door.

* * *

Hiccup chased after Toothless as the dragon ran through the village. The sky had turned purple, the sun having dipped below the horizon. He mumbled hurried apologies as he bumped into others who were making their way home for the night. As the alpha ran past, many of the dragons still with their human companions lifted their heads in curiosity. As he ran, Toothless called into the night. A soft and melodic call that Hiccup had learned was meant for his mate. Hiccup heard her reply a moment later, shortly followed by her sleek form overhead. Toothless continued running, Hiccup behind him. The young chief felt his stomach drop when Toothless turned back to him. His friend's eyes were fearful, his pupils narrow on the green irises. Hiccup ran faster, pushing past the discomfort in his leg and realized that they were heading toward the Western cliff.

Within moments they reached the cliff, Toothless and Moon stopped at the edge, peering intently over the water. Hiccup approached the and followed their gaze, seeing nothing but the last light of the sun as it sank lower behind the horizon. Without warning, Toothless turned his head and roared back towards the rest of the island. Hiccup recognized the call as the one Toothless uses as a call to arms. Out of the trees, several dragons lifted into the air and flew toward them. Before they had a chance to land, Toothless let out a commanding bark, and the dragons flew out over the sea at an alarming pace. Hiccup could feel the tension coming off of the two dragons. Toothless stood at the very edge of the cliff, his body alert as his green eyes followed the dragons.

Hiccup saw the small group fade into a small dark shape near the horizon, before it began to grow again. The dragons had turned around and were now flying back toward the island.

"What the…?" Hiccup muttered, squinting his eyes in the hope of being able to better see what was happening. The dragons were grouped tighter together, all huddled around a young Raincutter, which appeared to be carrying something. The small group landed on the cliff, and many moved out of the way as Hiccup, Toothless, and the Light Fury approached the Raincutter. On its back was a small Terrible Terror. The tiny dragon was curled around itself, shaking with exhaustion. As Hiccup inched closer, he noticed that the bright teal and yellow scales were streaked with red. Hiccup felt his stomach drop in fear as the small dragon slumped over, revealing a fresh wound: an angry red brand in the shape of a sword piercing through a dragon's head; Drago's sigil.

* * *

_Kenna_

Kenna's legs burned as she ran through the village to the Great Hall. She had heard the warning bell's deep chime cut through the darkness, where she and Eret had been preparing for bed. She burst into the hall, shoving her way past viking and dragon alike to get to the front where Hiccup, Astrid, and Valka were standing over a small, teal dragons. Around them, braziers had been lit and gathered to provide plenty of light.

"I heard the bell. What happened?" she gasped.

"One of the Terror sentries we sent out came back," Hiccup said reverently. "It's hurt pretty bad."

Valka was already looking is over, cleaning its wounds to prevent infection. Gothi stood nearby grinding herbs with a mortar and pestle. The dragon had fallen unconscious, most likely from pain or exhaustion, and Kenna watched nervously as it breathed. It's breaths were weak and shallow, and Kenna knew that his chances of survival were slim. As Valka moved her hand away from the wound to clean the rag and take the poultice from Gothi, Kenna saw the familiar brand and blanched.

"It's Drago. He knows we were watching," she whispered.

"I know," Hiccup replied solemnly, Astrid leaning on his shoulder. "You sent the Terrors out Kenna. Where was he?"

Kenna lifted her eyes to meet his. "The Hidden World."


	25. Chapter 25: Suit Up

**CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE: SUIT UP**

_Hiccup_

The normally quiet village of New Berk was now a colorful, noisy center of panicked energy. Everywhere he looked, Hiccup could see his people preparing for war. There was a line outside of the forge of individuals waiting for saddles or armor for their dragons, as well as sharpened weapons. The core group of dragon riders stood with him, helping everyone get set up, before they prepared themselves. He and Eret helped with the armor, making sure that each piece was secured and comfortable. Ruffnut and Tuffnut were passing out weapons, both shockingly calm and quiet. Snotlout and Fishlegs were helping Gobber with the saddles, while Valka and Kenna checked in with each dragon, making sure that they were comfortable and readied. Over the din of the squawks and rubles of the dragons, sounds of shouts carried into the night. Husbands called to their wives to bring their axes, women calmed crying babes, and riders called for their dragons. Hiccup's chest felt tight with anxiety as he helped strap the dragons into their armor with Eret. Something about the whole situation didn't feel right. How would Drago have known that the Terror sentry was theirs? The logical plan was to go to the Hidden World, but there was something scratching at the back of his mind that told him to stay put.

Gobber's biting shout pulled him from his thoughts. "I'll finish up here lad, you go get yer team ready!" Hiccup nodded curtly and turned to his friends.

"Alright gang, suit up."

* * *

Hiccup walked out of his house as he clipped his newest version of Inferno to his thigh. In the village square, the dragon riders were gathered. Nearly four dozen vikings armed to the teeth with axes, bolas, spears, swords, maces, and hammers, all sitting atop imposing armored dragons of every shape and size. In the very front stood Toothless and Astrid, Stormfly close behind her. Closest to the alpha were his friends, all dressed in their dragon-scale armor, their dragons shifting their weight from claw to claw, ready to nodded to them all in gratitude. He strode up to Astrid, one hand resting on Toothless' head, the other covering her stomach protectively. As soon as he was within arm's reach, Astrid wrapped her hand around the back of his neck and buried her fingers in his hair. She dragged his mouth to hers with fervor. He met her kiss eagerly, decorum thrown out in favor of fear-driven passion. His own gloved hand found their way into her hair and cupping her jaw, grounding himself to her. He wanted nothing more than to stay and protect her and the child she bore, but his own loyalty to Toothless and the dragons pulled him away. He poured everything he wanted to say into the kiss. He told her that he loved her, that he loved their child. That he wanted to stay. That he was sorry for pulling her through this. That he was scared. She pulled away and looked into his verdant eyes, her own shining with emotion. His eyebrows furrowed with raw emotion and he closed his eyes, resting his forehead on hers.

"Astrid, I... " The words were trapped in his heart, unable to be spoken aloud.

"I know, babe," she whispered back. For a moment, they just stood there in silence, rest against each other, before Astrid began to speak firmly. "Hiccup Horrendous Haddock, I need you to listen to me. You need to go and help the dragons. You need to protect the Hidden World. But I need you to come back to me, to us. Do you hear me, Hiccup? You will come back to me or I will drag you back here by your hair. Promise me Hiccup. Come home."

As she spoke, the knot in his stomach tightened. He had to fight against every urge he had that told him to pick her up and carry her back home and lock the doors. He wanted to strip her and make her his again and again. To hide from the rest of the world and keep her safe from everything. She was everything that grounded him, that kept him focused. He felt safer having her by his side, at home and at war, and since it wasn't safe for her to fight, he had the powerful urge to stay and protect her. He battled against his own desires, and grimaced in anguish before turning from her and mounting Toothless. He pulled his helmet onto his head and nodded to his riders. As they began to lift into the night air and fly for the Hidden World, Hiccup raised his visor, turned back to his wife, and gave her a crooked smile.

"Don't have that baby without me!" he called. He and Toothless leapt into the air and her response was muted but the sound of air rushing past black wings, but he still heard her over the wind:

"You come back alive, Hiccup!"

* * *

_Kenna_

Kenna and Moon led the group of riders and dragons toward the Hidden World. The group flew in relative silence through the darkness, each of them caught up in their own thoughts. Kenna's mind reeled with fear as the pictured her home of the last eight years burning. She felt tears burn in her eyes as she pictured dragons dying around her, babies torn from their mothers, mates screaming for each other in the chaos. She forcefully brushed the tears away with a gloved hand, telling herself not to think that way, that the dragons would protect each other. Moon warbled a greeting below her, and she turned to see Hiccup and Toothless join her at the front of the pack.

"You alright?" he asked.

"Fine," she replied forcibly.

"Oh. I've got something for you," he said, reaching into the saddle bag behind him. He pulled out a helmet and tossed it to her.

She caught it easily, being only a few feet away. The helmet was also covered in Moon's scales. It was simple in its shape, yet sleek and would cover her face completely. The eyeholes were enhanced with pale blue scales, similar to Moon's own eyes and we attached to an adjustable visor that could be lifted. A small fin was all that decorated the top, beginning at the brow and tapering at the base of the skull.

"Sorry it's not as fancy as Astrid's," Hiccup said quietly, "I didn't have a lot of time, but I wanted you to have one."

"It's perfect," she responded, pulling it over her brain and onto her head. It was relatively comfortable and didn't impede her vision.

They flew quickly, cutting through the night. The clouds whipped past them silently, and Kenna could feel her anxiety building. She wasn't sure how long it took for the injured Terror to reach them, or how long the hunters had been at the Hidden World. She feared the level of destruction that they would be met with. Would they be too late? She looked at Hiccup and could see his own face wrought with worry. She heard a rumble and turned to her right to see Eret approaching them on Skullcrusher. Kenna smiled at him softly and e returned it. He was incredibly handsome in his armor, and Kenna had told him as they dressed. He laughed and said "well, I will have to wear again for you," but the brief moment of levity has been short-lived, both of them apprehensive as to what lie ahead. Eret had broken the awkward silence and pulled her in for a fierce kiss before taking her on the floor right there, the fear of losing each other too much to bear. They had said nothing, instead using their bodies to convey their fears and love. Kenna could still feel him inside of her as she flew, the ache reminding her of everything she had to lose. She wanted a future with Eret, children even. Kenna would never admit it, but she was terrified. She was scared of failing to protect the dragons, she was scared of losing her new friends, scared of losing Eret, scared for Hiccup and Astrid, and terrified of facing Drago again.

* * *

The flight didn't take long, only a few hours since the group of warriors flew as fast as the dragons would allow. They emerged from the clouds into a sky bathed in orange as fire erupted everywhere. The troupe couldn't help but pull up short as they took in the horrendous sight in front of them. Thousands upon thousands of ships surrounded the entrance to the Hidden World, some of them already ablaze. There were dragons everywhere, the roars and screeches were deafening. Wild dragons tried to attack the ships, but were fought off by droves of armored dragons. Massive Shovelheims, Snafflefangs, Monstrous Nightmares, and Thunderclaws outfitted in sharpened armor and weapons. Many had crossbows attached to them, operated by hunters riding and controlling them. Each had cranial harnesses that held several vials filled with a strange purple liquid, no doubt the venom that Hiccup had described. Kenna's heart panged for the dragons, who were unable to control their own actions and were likely in pain. Below them, the great entrance roared, and Kenna could see Drago's men entering the Hidden World, carrying massive weapons she knew were meant for killing, not for trapping. The entire scene was one of chaos; the world sinking into the sea: Ragnarok, the end of days.

Beside her, Toothless roared in fury, and it shook Kenna from her reverie. She flipped her visor over her eyes and leaned close over Moon's shoulders, the two of them flying for the great waterfall.

"Where are you going?!" Hiccup shouted to her.

"To get backup!" she screamed back.

The sound of the familiar whistle coming from Moon's wings filled the air as Kenna and the Light Fury screamed into the mist.


	26. Chapter 26: Blood and Fury

**CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX: BLOOD AND FURY**

_Hiccup_

"Where are you going?!"

"To get backup!"

Toothless' roar of anger had torn Hiccup from his state of shock. The sheer scale of the attack had brought the group to a halt. An armada of warships larger than Hiccup ever imagined encircled the massive falls, each of them emblazoned with Drago's sigil. Around him, Hiccup could hear dragons screaming in pain and the metallic swish of giant ballistas sending enormous bolts of iron hurtling through the sky. Wild dragons attempted to attack the ships, but they were overwhelmed by the weapons as well as other dragons under the control of the soldiers. Hiccup could see the bright purple vials of venom and the sight made him sick. He had sat unmoving for several moments before the alpha had roared. Hiccup knew he had to go after Kenna to help her. Dragons and soldiers were already flying into the Hidden World, and he needed to stop them. He turned to Eret.

"Attack the soldiers. Try to free as many dragons as possible and burn the ships!" he shouted over the sounds of chaos.

"Aye chief," Eret replied, turning to relay the commands as Hiccup and Toothless flew toward the entrance.

The familiar sound of the Night Fury's whistle pierced through the night air. Hiccup bent low of Toothless' shoulders and switched the pedal's position, enabling Toothless to fly at his top speed. Hiccup's eyes burned from the wind and the smoke, but his own fury burned hotter. As they reached the falls and dove down, Toothless blasted a soldier riding on the back of a Snafflefang. As they entered the rocky cavern at the base of the falls, they encountered more soldiers. However, these soldiers lie dead on the rocks, pools of blood growing around their bodies.

Toothless increased his speed, following the trail of carnage deeper into the subterrain. In the water below, Hiccup could see more bodies, soldiers floating with empty eyes and deep gashes through their armor, a Seashocker still bleeding from a bolt through its chest. Ahead of them, Hiccup could make out the sounds of distressed dragons and shouting soldiers.

"Come here, you bitch!"

"Catch her!"

"Stop that damn white demon she's riding!"

As he entered the larger annex and Toothless' scales glowed with a soft blue, he was finally able to see what all the commotion was about.

Kenna and Moon tore through the air, performing flips and spins as they evaded the weapons of the soldiers and the teeth of their steeds. She held her bow in her hands, one arrow already in her right hand, another between her teeth. Hiccup watched in awe as she drew the bowstring back and loosed the arrow, sending it through the eye of a soldier, the arrowhead sticking out of the back of his head. She drew the second and released it through the neck of another soldier. Pulling the bow over her head and across her chest, she leapt from the Light Fury's back and onto the back of the soldier's Shovelheim, kicking the dead man from the dragon. The man plummeted into the darkness below, his body connecting with the stone pillars below. Kenna reached in front of her and unclasped the cranial harness, removing it from the dragon's head and letting it fall as she launched herself to the second soldier's Thunderdrum and repeated the process, before leaping back onto Moon. She balanced between the dragon's shoulders, crouching low and placing her left hand on Moon's head to maintain her balance. With her right hand, she withdrew her sword from the scabbard on her back and faced another attacking soldier. His curses fell short as her sword sliced through his neck, splattering her white armor with crimson.

Hiccup rushed forward to help, focusing on a soldier that was advancing on a mother dragon. The Deadly Nadder screeched a warning as she curled around her clutch of eggs. The soldier held a heavy stone warhammer, intent on killing the mother and smashing her eggs. Toothless swooped in and grabbed the man in his claws before dropping him to his death. Kenna and the Light Fury flew further into the bowels of the dragons' home, neither of them hesitating to kill the soldiers. Hiccup watched in awe as Moon shot out a concentrated plasma blast and then through it, the heat triggering the reaction in the scales that turned the Light Fury and Kenna nearly invisible. From behind a small group of three mounted soldiers, the dragon and rider re-appeared and forcefully sent all three men hurtling into the darkness below, their cries of terror ending abruptly with a solid thud. Toothless and Hiccup caught up to them, removing the venom from the dragons after the soldiers had been removed.

Kenna suddenly screamed in horror and anger, and Hiccup searched the rocky outcropping to see what had upset her. A Hobblegrunt was matching Kenna's scream of anguish as she spread her wings over four tiny bodies, each of them small enough to fit in a saddle bag. A large soldier stood to the side, his battle axe coated in blood Kenna dropped from the white dragon's back and landed directly in front of the man. With an animalistic screech, Kenna swung her sword in a graceful arc through the man's neck. The body of the soldier fell to its knees before crumpling at Kenna's feet, his head several feet away. Her lip was curled in a vicious snarl, and he could hear her growling as she climbed on Moon's back from where he sat on Toothless. Hiccup's stomach turned at the sight of the dead hatchlings and headless body, his eyes burning with tears. The two furies sped for the main annex, having removed any soldiers in the immediate area. The two dragons landed on the enormous glowing stone that Hiccup had seen them atop during his first visit to the Hidden World and took their place as the alphas they were. The two dragons surveyed their surroundings, taking in the soldiers, the dragons; some cowering in fear while others fought their attackers.

Hiccup could feel the rage and fury building in the dragon below him. Toothless' scales glowed a bright blue, a clear sign of his anger and status as alpha. The roar began as a deep rumble deep in the dragon's chest before it burst from him, the sound loud and piercing. The Light Fury joined in, shortly followed by Kenna, and Hiccup was taken aback at just how feral the young woman was. Her own scream of fury sounded exactly like the dragon she was currently sitting atop. Her armor and face were splattered with blood, one of her bracers missing and a large cut across the back of one arm. Hiccup realized that despite her friendship and acceptance among the Berkians, she had spent the last eight years living among the dragons, and was just as wild as any of them.

The roar echoed through the cavernous space. Hearing the call of their alphas, all of the dragons rose into the air. Thousands of them of every shape, size, and color beating their wings as they turned their attention toward the entrance and the invaders there. The only ones who stayed behind were the mothers of the very young, or those too injured to fight.

Hiccup heard and felt a rumble deep in his bones and he turned to look behind him. To his surprise, the Bewilderbeast that Drago had controlled moved itself to a vast body of water, where it dove out of sight. The great beast did not resurface, which led Hiccup to think that the water was open to the ocean above, and the Hidden World itself was a massive underwater cavern that contained its own pocket of air.

The two alpha dragons leapt back into the air and followed the horde of enraged dragons. The dragons attacked without mercy, killing hunters with brutal ferocity. Hiccup could do nothing but watch as a controlled Thunderclaw grabbed a Thornridge and tore its wing from its body, before letting the smaller dragon fall to the ground. In response, a Raincutter grabbed dragon and rider before disemboweling the larger dragon and letting both fall to the rocks below.

Hiccup wanted to scream at the dragons, to tell them that their armored opponents are being controlled, that the vials of venom only needed to be removed and the dragons would fight with their kind, but he knew it was useless. The wild dragons had been called to fight by their alpha, and they would follow him to the death, if necessary.

Hiccup ignited Inferno and urged Toothless forward, into the bloodshed. He helped where he could, slicing through the leather of the cranial harnesses to free the dragons of the soldiers' control. Similarly, he acted on instinct, killing the soldiers that threatened the dragons. He and Toothless sped ahead, focusing on a soldier who sat atop a Windgnasher. The dragon turned quickly, spinning its clubbed tail in the direction of a young Changewing. Hiccup threw himself over Toothless' head, driving his sword deep into the soft flesh between the soldier's neck and shoulder. Hiccup kicked the corpse from the back of the dragon, removed the venom injections from the dragon's head, and leapt off, landing cleanly on Toothless.

"No," he whispered. Hiccup's stomach dropped at the sight. Ahead of them, a hundred or so soldiers and dragons flew toward them with weapons heard Kenna cry out with rage, and she and Moon raced toward the oncoming soldiers. He and Toothless followed right behind. Hiccup lost all sense of self as the sounds of battle filled his ears. He couldn't remember killing the soldiers, the moments coming in broken fragments of reality. The shock that radiated up his arm when his sword hit bone, the sound of a man screaming as he fell to his death, the sight of a Zippleback nearly split in half as the two heads were pulled in opposite direction, the smell of blood filling his nostrils.

His eyes found Kenna as she continued to fight. From the back of the Light Fury, she dodged the bolts from the soldiers' crossbows, the white dragon spinning in tight circles. The two moved as one entity, their motions graceful and brutal. Toothless fired a plasma blast, knocking two soldiers from the backs of their steeds, and Kenna walked across Moon's wings and onto the backs of the dragons, releasing them from the venom's control. The two armored dragons took a moment to gather themselves, before they too, turned and attacked the invaders. However, the opposing force was too strong. It seemed that for every soldier or dragon that fell on the attacking side, another took their place. Hiccup knew that they were at a stalemate, and he feared that they would tire before they could finally overtake the enemy.

Amongst the chaos of battle, Toothless screamed out another deafening roar. At first, Hiccup thought it was a rallying cry, but as the sound of a deep bellow reverberated around them, he realized it was a call for aid. Above the stone pillars, the imposing shape of the Crimson Goregutter loomed. It flew quickly past them and toward the phalanx of soldiers. With its great antler-like horns, it pushed the soldiers and dragons back toward the entrance, swinging its head from side to side. Dragons and men went flying through the air as the massive antlers connected forcefully. Hiccup could hear bones crunch as the great dragon swept its head back and forth.

With the addition of the Crimson Goregutter, Hiccup noticed the change in the army's momentum. Instead of fighting off attacks, the wild dragons were forcing the others away from the center of the Hidden World and back to the falls. With fire and fury, the dragons pushed the soldiers back into the glowing nursery and its stone pillars, then back into the grotto-like cavern, and out of the Hidden World altogether.


	27. Chapter 27: All Hands On Deck

**CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN: ALL HANDS ON DECK**

_Kenna_

They emerged from the falls and into the open air, only to be met with more destruction and fire. Kenna took only a moment to survey the damage, her eyes focusing on the nearest ship before she flew off. From its bow, a net had been launched, capturing a young blue Monstrous Nightmare. Its eyes were wide with fear as it trembled under the gaze of six advancing soldiers. Moon dove toward the warship, her plasma blast sending three of the men the the deck, unconscious. Kenna's feet hit the wooden planks of the ship's deck and she advanced on the three men, her sword still in its scabbard. One man with a large, brown mustache ran at her, his broadsword raised, curses flying from his mouth. With one swift turn, Kenna pulled a dagger from under her remaining bracer and sent it flying into the man's throat. His eyes widened in shock as blood bubbled in his mouth. His two companions rushed toward her, their own weapons raised in attack. Kenna took several loping steps toward them, pulling her dagger from the fallen man's throat and he fell to the ground. She quickly dodged one soldier's war hammer, plunging her dagger into the base of his skull, severing his spinal cord. The last remaining soldier turned red in anger. "You bitch!" he screamed, lunging at her with his sword. Kenna barely had enough time to pull her own sword from its scabbard, swinging it up to block the larger man's downswing. She pushed his blade to the side, only for him to swing it back up at an angle. The tip of his sword catching the armor on her chest, leaving a deep gouge in its wake. In the wake of his upswing, his side was revealed to her. She took the opportunity, able to move her lightweight shortsword faster that he could move the two-handed broadsword he wielded. She slashed the unprotected flesh underneath his arm and he instinctively dropped his weapon, unable to hold its weight with only one arm. She swung the sword over her head, bringing it down at an angle, slicing through the leather armor and deep into his abdomen. The broadsword clattered to the ground, and the man's arms moved to his stomach, but the damage had been done. He held him own entrails in his hands. Kenna gave him a final grow, and turned away. She cut through the fireproof ropes that held the Nightmare. Once it was free, the young dragon stretched its wings, nuzzled Kenna with its snout in thanks, and flew off. Kenna walked to the edge of the ship and pulled herself on top of the wooden railing. Above her, Moon and Toothless fought in tandem, firing shot after shot at a group of heavily armored dragons. Several yards away, the next ship was bustling with activity. The soldiers were readying the large ballista with a razor wire net, their intent to take down the two furies.

Kenna looked into the water below her and saw a large Seashocker headed for the other ship. Acting on instinct, Kenna dove headfirst into the frigid water, grabbing onto the two-headed dragon. The water was cold and the dragon was swimming fast, but Kenna forced her eyes to remain open. In a matter of moments, they reached the ship's hull and Kenna pulled back on the dragon, forcing it up and out of the water. Kenna shook the water from her face, planted her feet firmly on the dragon's back, and as it raised itself out of the water, Kenna pushed herself from its back, landing and rolling on the hard deck, the loud noise alerting the soldiers. They rushed toward her, intent to kill clear on their face. Kenna ducked under the arm of the first soldiers, using his momentum to send him flying over the rail and into the water, where she knew the Tidal dragons would take care of him. The next man raced toward her, pulling a knife from his belt. He slashed it wildly, and Kenna dodged it, stepping back. As the knife swung past her again, she grabbed the man's fist in her own, turning under his arm and forcing it up behind his back. He shouted in pain, but Kenna continued the pressure, only stopping when she heard a satisfying "pop". Kenna picked up the dropped knife and plunged it into his back. She turned to see another soldier loading a bolt in his crossbow. Kenna rushed past him, standing between him and another soldier as he aimed at her. At the last second, Kenna moved to the side, feeling a burst of air as the bolt flew past her. With a solid thunk, the bolt had embedded itself deep in another soldier's chest, and he fell to the ground. Kenna charged at the archer, wrenching the crossbow from his hands and bashing it into his face. Blood spurted from his broken nose, but Kenna didn't stop, hitting him again and he fell to the floor unconscious. Kenna dropped the crossbow and whistled a loud piercing note. Within moments, Moon landed on the ship's deck, her white scales spattered with red. Kenna took a moment to scratch her friend's chin, then climbed back up into the saddle. The two took off into the air to see where they could help next.

Kenna spotted several other dragon riders some distance away, all of them cornered between a group of armored Thunderclaws and several ships. Moon spotted them as well, and the two flew in that direction. Noticing Hiccup and Toothless, she got their attention with a sharp whistle and gestured to the riders. Hiccup nodded and the pair quickly joined them.

"We need to take out the ships," he called over to her. "The riders can handle the dragons once they're out of the picture!"

Kenna nodded and hunched low over Moon. Moon released a plasma blast and the pair of them flew through it. Kenna could feel the intense heat through her armor, warm enough to me uncomfortable, but not warm enough to burn her. The scales that surrounded her warmed from the blast and turned reflective. A similar blast of purple radiated beside them and Kenna turned to see a black shape dive into the explosion. The pairs split, Kenna taking the left and Hiccup the right, where they aimed at the ships below. Kenna grabbed her bow and drew back an arrow, releasing it into the chest of a soldier who had aimed a ballista at Hookfang and Snotlout. Moon fired another explosive blast at the weapon, shattering it. Kenna could see the familiar purple blast from Toothless and Hiccup as they attacked another ship. Moon moved in a graceful turn, coming in behind another ship. As she began to feel the scales on her armor cool, Moon shot at the center mast, the wood splintering as the massive beam fell to the deck, crushing several soldiers. Ahead of her, Kenna spotted two familiar figures, and she felt her chest clench in anxiety. Fighting off no less than a dozen men, Eret fought to pass them, trying to get to Skullcrusher, who was pinned to the deck with heavy metal chains. Kenna urged Moon to fly faster, shoving several arrows into her quiver and pulling her bow over her shoulder. Once they were close enough, Kenna leapt from Moon's back and landed on the deck next to Eret. He was startled by the noise, turning to face the possible threat. When he saw that it was Kenna, he lifted his visor, relief flooding his face. Kenna felt her own sense of relief when she noticed he was unharmed.

"Kenna! Thank the gods! Are you alright?" he asked, taking a step back toward her.

"I'm fine! What happened?"

"They shot us down with a weighted net and then secured it to the deck! I'm pretty sure he's been dosed with dragon root."

One of the soldiers advanced on Eret, his axe raised. Kenna quickly drew an arrow and shot him in the head. Suddenly, she noticed a sword out of the corner of her eye that was headed for her neck. With a clang, the sword's path was interrupted as Eret caught it with his own sword. He pushed the weapon away kicked the soldier in the chest, sending him sprawling. Kenna turned and loosed two arrows in quick succession, the heads burying deep into the chests of two other soldiers that had moved toward Skullcrusher, their weapons raised. Kenna and Eret moved around each other smoothly, each covering the other, both protecting the one they loved. To Kenna, it felt like a dance, her and Eret in perfect balance with each other as they fought off their attackers. Soon, they were the only ones left standing on the deck, the soldiers either dead or unconscious around them. Both were breathing heavily as they turned to face each other. Eret dropped both of his swords to the deck, the steel clanging loudly, and he rushed to Kenna, wrapping his arms around her back and lowering his mouth to hers. Kenna let her arms fall to her sides, one hand clutching her bow, the other holding her shordsword. She matched his kiss with passion, her heart pounding with relief and adrenaline. She couldn't contain the small sob that escaped her as Eret clutched her tightly.

"Thank the gods you're alright," Eret murmured against her temple after pulling away.

Kenna nodded, unsure of what to say. The two stood for a few moments catching their breath, before walking over to where Skullcrusher was trapped. They worked quickly, removing the next from the iron anchors it was secured to and pulling the heavy chain net off of the large dragon. Skullcrusher rumbled low in greeting, tired eyes turning to Eret and Kenna.

"Hey big guy," Eret said calmly, "you alright? Can you get up?" The big dragon grumbled in response, sluggishly pulling his legs underneath him. He tried to stand, but couldn't lift himself under the effects of the dragon root.

Kenna walked around the green Rumblehorn, stopping when she found a dart filled with a green liquid embedded in his hide.

"Eret," she said, "I found the dart. I'm going to remove it and he should start to become a bit more lively within minutes. Can you try to help pull him to his feet?" Eret nodded, firmly gripping the straps of the saddle. Kenna pulled out the dart quickly, expecting more of a fuss from the Rumblehorn, but he simply twitched. They let the dragon root work through his system, and then once the dragon was able to lift his head easily, the pair of dragons riders attempted to get the large dragon to his feet. Kenna pushed on his backend while Eret pulled forward on the saddle, and Skullcrusher managed to get to his feet. He stood for a moment, getting his bearings, before his lifted his great wings and shook his body like a dog shaking away water. Kenna was elated that Skullcrusher had fought of the grogginess so quickly. She figured it was due to the rather low dose of dragon root in comparison to Shullcrusher's massive weight.

"That's a good lad!" Eret encouraged, receiving a rumble and a nudge in return. Eret climbed into the saddle and held his hand down to Kenna. She gripped it tightly and pulled herself up and behind Eret. The dragon lurched into the air, and Kenna gripped Eret's shoulders.

"Any sign of Drago?" she called over the wind.

"No," Eret replied, "I've only seen officers and grunts."

Kenna huffed in frustration. Something wasn't adding up. Drago always led his men from the front, a sign of power. It wasn't like him to hide.

"Find him," she said to Eret with ice in her voice. "Burn the ships and flush him out."

Eret nodded with resolution and Kenna called for Moon. "I love you. Stay safe," she said, and leapt onto the Light Fury's back. The pair dove back into the melee, but Kenna couldn't shake the feeling that something was wrong.


	28. Chapter 28: Terror

**CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT: TERROR**

_Kenna_

Kenna flew over the ships toward the center of the armada, some distance away from the Hidden World's entrance. Here, she joined the other riders, leaving the wild dragons to protect their home. Snotlout and Hookfand flew in on her left and matched her pace.

"There's too many ships!" he shouted. "They're knocking us out of the air before we can destroy them!"

Kenna looked ahead and saw a group of riders flying high above the ships. They were out of range of the ballista's range, but that meant that the ships were too far for the dragons' fire to reach. While some ships focused on the dragon riders, others were moving toward the entrance, intent on overtaking the dragons that were guarding it. Even with the addition of the wild dragons, they were still outnumbered, and the ships could eventually regain access to the Hidden World.

Kenna leaned low over Moon's head. "Girl, I think we need that back up now."

The Light Fury lowered her ears back over her head and let out a deafening screech. Kenna could feel it echo in her bones as it carried across the battlefield, as well as under it.

"What the Hel?" Snolout yelled, removing his hands from his helmet, where he had covered his ears.

"Get everyone out of there!" Kenna shouted. "Head back toward the entrance!"

He nodded and sped off for the riders with her. The two of them managed to get the dragon riders a fair distance away when Kenna noticed the ocean boiling with large bubbles. While it was too dark to see what lurked beneath the water, Kenna knew it was the backup they so desperately needed. From the depths, an immense gray form burst from the water, salt spray flying into the air as the Bewilderbeast reared its head back and roared. Its eyes were wide with fury and its red fins were extended. It's eyes flicked to Kenna and Moon in acknowledgement before turning to the ships. It opened its mouth and released a torrent of ice, smashing the ships and sending the soldiers into the frigid waters. From behind her, she heard the cheers of the dragon riders and the determined roars of the dragons. Over it all, she could hear the screams of terror coming from the ships.

* * *

The battle raged on. With the addition of the Bewilderbeast, the battle shifted in their favor. Kenna had long since run out of arrows, but that didn't matter at this point. All of the hunters' dragons had been either freed or killed. Now their focus was on destroying the ships and finding Drago.

She and Moon hovered above the mass of ships, surveying the damage. Ruffnut and Tuffnut would fill the ship's hull with gas, then light it. The resulting explosion would turn the ships into nothing but splinters. Even from where she sat, she could hear their laughter. Snotlout and Hookfang passed low underneath her, spewing fire and setting the ships alight. Hookfang had set himself on fire, making his armor glow a dull had fireproofed his pants and sat stride the flaming dragon, shouting as they rained destruction. She watched as men plunged into the water below and the metal ballistas crashed through the burning pine and sank. That's when she realized what was missing; the catapults. Drago had over one hundred ships with double bows that cut deep into the water, each armed with catapults and trebuchets. At the realization, Kenna felt like she had been punched in the chest.

_There are ships missing. This isn't the entire armada. Drago isn't here._

Her breath came faster now as her eyes scanned the ships, looking for the heavily weaponized ships. Her heart raced with anxiety as she spotted ballistas, net launchers, and soldiers, but no impact weapons.

_They have to be here, they have to._

Kenna urged Moon to a large ship where the officers were being held captive. Eret looked at her, confused, as she leapt off the dragon's back and stalked up to one of the generals. He was a slight man, smaller and thinner than Hiccup. He had thin, dull hair that hung in greasy clumps around his face. The beard he had was scraggly and patched on his chin. His face bore the scars of childhood illness and blemishes. His hands were bound and secured to the deck behind him as he rested on his knees. As one of Drago's highest-ranking generals, he was less than imposing, but Kenna remembered this man and knew what he was capable of.

"Werll, well, well," he sneered, "if it isn't Drago's broodmare? Tell me, did the child look like him, or did it look like one of us?"

Eret's eyes flashed to Kenna, but she ignored him.

"Where is Drago, Bothvar?" Kenna demanded, her words dripping with disdain.

"Not here," the greasy man replied curtly.

"Tell the lady where Drago is," Eret commanded, placing the tip of his sword at the general's neck. He had followed Kenna when she had stormed past him.

"Son of Eret! Why am I not surprised that you've joined the dragon riders? You always were spineless." Bothvar smirked, seeing Eret tense at his words.

"I'll only ask one more time, Bothvar," Kenna said. "Where is Drago?"

Bothvar ignored Kenna yet again, but his eyes roved across her body before they flicked back to Eret.

"She's still feisty, I see. Are you fucking her son of Eret? How does it feel to have Drago's whore? Is she as tight as I imagine, or did Drago destroy her for anyone else?"

Eret lurched, the tip of his sword piercing the man's throat as he leaned down.

"Eret!" Kenna shouted, grabbing his shoulder and pulling him back. Eret resisted, still glaring at the other man.

Bothvar laughed. The sound made Kenna's insides turn as she remembered hearing that laugh when she was bound in Drago's chambers, her insides sore.

"She didn't tell you, son of Eret?" Bothvar taunted. "While Drago lay claim to her for breeding, he did not deny us access to her other...holes."

Kenna could feel Eret shaking. The pain and rage twisting his face into a snarl.

"I myself grew quite fond of her mouth," he continued. "There is nothing quite as arousing as watching a bitch cry and drool as you fuck her throat."

Kenna went numb at his words, the painful memories surfacing. She could hear him laughing as he thrust himself into her throat, paying no attention as she choked and gagged around him. His fingers clutched and pulled painfully at her hair as hot tears streamed down her face. Kenna remembers the jeers and laughter of the other officers as they watched their general, hands pumping their own cocks. Drago never stayed when he was finished with her and had only given instructions that they couldn't mount her. He hadn't told his men to not take her in other ways, but he also hadn't told them to stop. Not until she was with child. Once she was pregnant, the other men stopped touching her. She was never bound again, was well-fed, and provided her own room. However, that room had been her prison. She had only managed to escape by picking the lock.

In her daze, her grip on Eret had loosened, and he had broken free from her grasp. The sword was forgotten on the ground as Eret pummeled the bound general. Between each strike, Eret muttered curses, calling the man names that would make the Allfather blush. The resounding the thud from each of Eret's punches reverberated in Kenna's chest. She watched with a strange sense of resolution and horror, as Eret drew blood. She felt no pity for Bothvar, only remorse and shame at having let him and his men use her.

"Eret, stop!" Hiccup's shout cut through the chaos. Eret stepped back, panting, and wrapped his arms around Kenna. She hadn't realized she had been shaking, but the feel of Eret's strong arms clutching her to his chest instantly calmed her.

Bothvar cleared his mouth of the blood, spitting onto the deck. He turned his gaze to the young chief of Berk, one eye already starting to swell shut.

"Dragon master," he said to Hiccup jovially, "how is your father?"

Hiccup showed no emotion as he squatted in front of Bothvar, arms resting on his knees. "Where is Drago?" he asked calmly.

"It's a shame he's not. I know he was looking so forward to seeing you, Dragon master. He does send his regards though."

Hiccup removed Inferno from his hip and ignited it, pointing the blade at the man. "Tell me where he is."

Bothvar's eyes flashed from the flaming sword to Hiccup, meeting his gaze. "I was expecting to see your wife here," he continued, "but I suppose it's for the best. We wouldn't want to risk the life of the heir of Berk."

Kenna gasped and looked to Hiccup. His eyes widened in shock and he took half a step back.

"She must be ready to pop any time now. I have to say, I didn't think you had it in you. She's far prettier than what you deserve, with that blonde hair coiled up off of her neck and dressed in that dark blue dress."

Hiccup's eyes flashed with anger and fear as he turned to Kenna. Kenna could feel her own panic sit heavy in the pit of her stomach. Astrid had only started pulling her hair up just last week, as the weather had become hot and humid.

"Berk," she whispered. She quickly walked back toward Moon and climbed up into her saddle.

Hiccup turned and mounted Toothless. The alpha growled at the general and bared his teeth.

"Eret, do what you want with him," Hiccup said to the ex-trapper. "Destroy the ships and fly for Berk."

With no other preamble or discussion, Toothless leapt into the air, Moon directly behind him. The two dragons and their riders sped for Berk. The wind stung at Kenna's eyes, but she was more concerned by the icy grip of fear locked around her heart.


	29. Chapter 29: Battle for Berk

**CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE: BATTLE FOR BERK**

_Hiccup_

His eyes stung against the force of the wind as they flew, but he didn't care. Hiccup gripped the handlebars of the saddle tight enough for his knuckles to be white beneath his gloves. His mind swirled with panic as Toothless surged forward, flying at top speed.

Drago was headed for Berk. Hel, for all he knew, Drago could already be there. Icy fear gripped his stomach thinking that Astrid might be in danger.

_I promised I would keep her safe. Her and the baby. _

Hot tears streamed down his cheeks, although he wasn't sure if they were from the wind or his own anger at leaving Astrid and Berk. He only hoped that Berk's defenses were enough to at least hold off Drago's attacks.

Kenna and Moon flew next to him, matching Toothless' pace. He turned to look at the two females, grateful that they had come into his life. Kenna was hunched low over Moon's neck, visor pulled over her face. Hiccup could feel the anxiety rolling off of Kenna. She hadn't faced Drago since she left eight years ago. Hiccup had seen her fight and knew what she could accomplish when fueled by rage. As slight and petite as she was, she fought with a feral viciousness that Hiccup had only seen in animals. She was as much a dragon as the one she rode, and she was fighting to save her family.

* * *

They heard the attack before they could see it. Screams of villagers and dragons carried over the water, only to be momentarily silenced by the crashing sound of boulders impacting against the island. In the distance, the island of New Berk was illuminated by the orange glow of fire. In response to the burning village, Toothless increased his speed, the familiar sound of the Night Fury's whistle cutting through the night. Behind them, a similar whistle followed; Kenna and Moon. As they neared, the firelight cleared, revealing burning buildings and ships, all interspersed with blazing projectiles and dragon fire.

To his right, Kenna and Moon launched themselves through a plasma blast, intending to camouflage themselves, since the stark white of the Light Fury's scales would be easily seen against the night sky. He and Toothless had more of an advantage, their black scales hiding them within the darkness.

As they approached the ships, the familiar call of "NIGHT FURY!" echoed across the water. Refusing to slow down, Toothless sent a powerful blast at the nearest ship, creating a massive hole in the hull. The pair turned, firing again, this time at one of the large catapults on the deck. As it exploded, Toothless and Hiccup were briefly illuminated in the fire. Hiccup heard shouts as the hunters aimed their weapons at him, and felt when arrows blew past them.

The pair quickly turned upwards, scaling the cliff face and flying for the village. Hiccup's focus was entirely on finding Astrid and making sure she was safe. He could hear the familiar screech as Kenna and Moon flew by, intent on destroying another ship in the water below. Toothless breached the top of the island and Hiccup looked around, eyes scanning for familiar blond hair. Several of the houses were on fire or destroyed, having been crushed by giant boulders. However, the damage could have been far worse. The homes were vacated, nost with the doors still left open. He flew to his own home, relieved to find it undamaged. He quickly dismounted and ran inside.

"Astrid!" he shouted once inside, "Astrid?! Are you here?!"

He was met with silence as he ran through the house, quickly checking tt rooms. All of them were empty, Astrid was not there.

From outside, he heard Toothless roar, calling to Hiccup. He ran from the house, unsure to be relieved or scared that Astrid wasn't there, but hoping that she was the reason Toothless called him out. Once outside, he was met by a large brown Stormcutter and not Astrid or her Nadder. Standing atop Cloudjumper was his mother. She quickly slid down the large dragon's wing, running to Hiccup, and pulled him in for a fierce hug.

"Hiccup!" she gasped with relief, "I'm so happy you're alright!"

"Mom, what happened, Where's Astrid?"

"After the riders left, we feared that Drago was closer than we expected. We immediately began evacuating everyone and getting them into the mountain. One of your Terrors returned, and we knew that they were coming. It wasn't long after that they started attacking. I tried to get Astrid inside, but she insisted on helping the others. Last I saw, she was getting the last few families into the stronghold."

"Thanks mom!" he called as he climbed back into the saddle, taking off. He flew low over the houses, scanning for Astrid. After passing over the main part of the village, he spotted her hurrying up the path from the docks, a small boy clutching her hand, his parents and siblings behind them. Standing a few paces in front of the group was Stormfly, squawking urgently.

"Astrid!" he shouted, Toothless landing next to the path.

She looked up at him, eyes burning with urgency, determination, and a touch of fear. She urged the boy and his family to continue up the path before running to Hiccup. He pulled her close to his chest and buried his nose in her hair. She smelled like smoke and burning pine, but the underlying scent of Astrid calmed him. She clutched him equally as tight, her own face pressed into his armor, and her fingers gripped his riding leathers

"Thank Thor. Astrid, are you okay?"

"I'm fine." Her voice was muffled by the leather of her armor, but he could make out the sound of relief. "We didn't have a lot of time before the ships arrived, so I got the families to safety while the others went to fight. The mountain still hasn't been sealed. That was the last family."

"Okay. That's good. Let me get you in there too."

"She looked up at him. "Hiccup, I'm fine. You need to get back out there and fight. There are too many for the riders here now. I can get myself to the stronghold. I've got Stormfly, I'll be ok."

"But-"

Her hand shot up and covered his mouth. "No. You go fight. We'll be fine."

Hiccup placed one gloved hand on her stomach. He felt torn between the desire to protect his wife and unborn child, and the need to help protect New Berk. With a sense of reluctancy, he sighed and nodded before turning and climbing back onto Toothless' saddle.

"I love you!" He called back to her as Toothless flew into the air. "Stay safe!"

* * *

Hiccup and Toothless shot back towards the carnage. Behind them came a deep boom and the rumble of falling rocks. Hiccup sighed in relief, knowing that the cavern had been sealed and Astrid was safe inside. In the light of the fires, he could see monstrous dragons flying up the cliff and into the heart of Berk. While the ships and catapults rained rock and fire down on the outskirts, the soldiers lay waste to the village itself. The pair turned their attention to the soldiers, desperate to keep the village safe. Around them, the sounds of war pierced the night. Soldiers shouted commands to each other, dragons screeched in pain or obedience, thunderous crashes indicated boulders finding their mark.

Hiccup and Toothless fought with a frenzied urgency, despite the flight to and from the Hidden World. Hiccup felt the adrenaline coursing through his body as he launched himself at soldier after soldier. Toothless mirrored his companion's state, his teeth extended and stained with blood. He constantly radiated a blue light from within, displaying himself as the Alpha he was. The pair tore through the Hunters' ranks, sending broken bodies flying in their wake. The cries of "Night Fury!" now echoed with fear instead of command as they had when they first reached New Berk. Constantly beside him, weaving in and out of the buildings on land, or the ships' masts below, what the Light Fury and her rider. Kenna had abandoned her bow, having long run out of arrows. She and Moon twisted and turned alongside Hiccup and Toothless, often banding together to focus their attacks. Kenna's eyes were wild as she constantly scanned the battlefield, and Hiccup knew she was looking for Drago.

He wasn't sure how many soldiers he'd fought or killed, when Hiccup heard a familiar sound. From the West came the screeches and roars of hundreds of dragons, all hurtling toward New Berk. When the light of the burning ships caught the horde, Hiccup couldn't help but laugh when he saw his friends leading the charge. Snotlout was in front, Hookfang completely engulfed in flames, as he shouted at the soldiers. Behind him, Eret had both swords drawn as he sat atop a ferocious Skullcrusher. As they approached, Hiccup heard the shouts and screams of the soldiers as they were met with dragonfire. In what seemed like no time at all, the soldiers were surrendering, dropping their weapons and releasing their controlled dragons.

"Chief," Eret caught Hiccup's attention as he was overseeing the release of several dragons, "we found him."

Hiccup felt his chest tighten and he nodded curtly to Eret, before he and Toothless followed Eret to the deck of a large ship.

He landed heavily on the deck, his eyes taking in Drago's form as he dismounted. Toothless bared his teeth and growled lowly. The warlord had been relieved of his metal arm and any weapons. He was bound and kneeling on the deck, surrounded by the dragon riders and their mounts. He had a cut over his left eye and a split lip, and his nose was steadily dripping blood. Hiccup had no doubt that his injuries were from Eret. The trapper had suffered too much at the hands of the tyrant in front of him.

"Dragon master," Drago sneered, his words dripping with malice.

"Drago," Hiccup replied coolly, not giving the hunter a chance to speak, "you have attempted to destroy Berk again, and you have failed again. You attacked the Hidden World, killing hundreds of dragons in your attempt to annihilate them, but you failed. Your ships and soldiers were all destroyed. You threatened by dragon, my home, and my family. This ends now."

From behind him, Hiccup heard the faint sound of a plasma blast.

"Do you plan on killing me?" Drago replied snidely as the ship rocked.

"No," said Hiccup coldly as he turned away from the broken man. "She will."

From the bow, a white dragon and rider slowly came into view, the camouflage that concealed them gradually fading as the dragon gracefully climbed down off of the figure head, her lips pulled back in a snarl, purple light emitting from deep within. Moon stopped when she reached the deck and the rider dismounted. Kenna was still wearing her helmet, eyes and iconic red hair tucked inside of the white leather.

A sudden screech startled everyone, and all eyes looked up to see Stormfly hovering over the ship, her tail thrashing anxiously. Her eyes met Hiccup's and she screeched again. Hiccup felt his stomach drop as he was hit with a sudden realization.

_Astrid._

His eyes snapped to Kenna and he found her already looking at him intently. She nodded once and jerked her head up towards the village. Hiccup hurriedly mounted Toothless and pair shot into the air. Hiccup felt a moment of guilt as he flew away from the dragon riders and Kenna, but he knew that this was something she could do without him. His guilt vanished in an instant as they approached his home, and the sound of a pained cry met his ears.


	30. Chapter 30: Vengeance

**CHAPTER THIRTY: VENGEANCE**

_Kenna_

Stormfly's panicked screech shook Kenna from the trance she was in. She looked up at the anxious dragon, and she felt her chest tighten as she screeched again. Stormfly's sudden appearance could only mean one thing: that Astrid was in labor.

Kenna looked at Hiccup as his eyes broke away from Stormfly and locked on hers. His eyes were fearful and his shoulders had tensed. She briefly nodded and raised her chin up towards the village, telling him to go. Hiccup scrambled into the saddle and Toothless leapt into the air, following Stormfly to Astrid. Kenna turned her gaze back to Drago. She could feel the rage bubbling inside of her. She wanted nothing more than to scream and curse and run him through, but at the same time, she was overcome with an overwhelming sense of calm. This is the moment should could end it all. End the fear, torment, and the pain that Drago had caused her and her family. She approached him, taking slow, measured steps. Drago sneered at her.

"The Chief of Berk is cowardly. He couldn't even bring himself to kill me!" he shouted.

"You threatened his family," Kenna replied quietly, her tone icy.

"And yet, he ran away, leaving a woman to do his dirty work."

"Hiccup Haddock doesn't run from anything. He runs toward trouble. He runs to help those that need it." Kenna's voice wavered slightly. Hiccup had given Kenna her life back, and had asked for nothing in return. "If anyone is a coward, it's you. You hid while your men attack the Hidden World and New Berk. You let the world believe you were dead so that you could grow your forces in secrecy. You take what you want from those who have nothing left to give, and then you leave them to fend for themselves. Hundreds of women and children left in the shell of a village with no one to provide for them or protect them. All because you killed their chief and took every able-bodied man to bring you dragons for your army!"

Drago's eyes narrowed. "Who are you?"

Kenna removed her helmet and let it drop at her feet. Her hair had come loose from its braid, and the strands blew in the salty sea air. She could feel the dried blood staining her skin. All of the pain and rage that she had carried for years boiled under the surface. She stood tall and proud, looking every bit the dragon warrior and heir she was. She looked down at Drago with contempt as his eyes widened in shock and realization.

"You..."

"Yes, me. You took everything from me. You threatened my people, raped me, murdered my father, and tortured the man I love. And now, you've attacked the only other place I called home. You slaughtered innocent dragons or used them to destroy entire villages, just to take what you wanted. Your reign ends here. It dies with you."

Drago quickly recovered from his shock, his face again falling into the cold, disdainful expression he had before.

"As I recall, you willingly gave yourself to me all those years ago," Drago said. "You promised yourself to me, to provide an heir. That cunt is mine by law." Eret tensed and held his sword at Drago's throat.

Kenna's eyes flicked to Eret and she shook her head. He lowered his sword and she looked back at Drago.

"No it's not," Kenna replied calmly, "I never belonged to you. The child that I had growing inside of me never belonged to you. You gave up that claim when you murdered my father. You will not take anyone's life ever again." She strode toward him, he feel thudding purposefully on the deck as she pulled her sword from its scabbard and held it against his throat. "Drago Bludvist, you murdered my father, as well as the late chief of Berk. You invaded and pillaged dozens of villages, kidnapping any able-bodied men, with threat on their lives or the lives of their children. You attacked and slaughtered hundreds of innocent dragons, and you attacked New Berk with the intent to destroy it, threatening the lives of all who live here. Your punishment is death. Do you have any last words?

Fear flashed in Drago's eyes. "But what of the child? What of my heir?" he begged.

Kenna paused, her sword at his throat. Her thoughts turned to the miscarriage she had suffered after her arrival to the Hidden World. For a moment, she considered telling him the entire truth. That she had found sanctuary with the dragons, and that the pregnancy had ended naturally, most likely from the shipwreck she had been in.

"I ended it," she said, deciding to tell him the simplest and most bare version of the truth. Her body had ended the pregnancy. Drago's face paled, and his eyes widened. With one swift motion, Kenna dragged her blade through the tyrant's neck, ending his life the same way he had ended her father's. She watched with silent reserve as his body crumpled, his life's blood staining the ship deck red.

Kenna didn't notice that she was shaking until she felt Eret's strong arms envelop her and pull her to his chest. Her sword clattered to the deck and she wrapped her arms around his middle, turning her face away from Drago's broken body and nuzzling against Eret. She didn't even notice the solid armor, she just felt his arms around her, grounding her to him.

"Shh, love," he whispered, one of his hands moving to stroke her hair, "it's all over. It's done." The pair stayed in their embrace for several minutes while the others cleaned up the body, not pulling away until Kenna had stopped shaking. Moon approached Kenna tentatively, purring quietly in question. Kenna wrapped her arms around the white dragon and hugged her tightly.

"Oh, Moon," she whispered, "he's gone. We're safe." Eret placed a soothing hand on her shoulder and Moon nuzzled against her, both attempting to give strength to the shaken young woman. Kenna felt safe with them both, but she realized that getting vengeance wasn't a fulfilling as she expected. She was expecting an overwhelming sense of relief. And while that feeling was there, it was dulled by the residual adrenaline that coursed through her veins. With Drago dead, she felt empty, without a purpose. That was the entire reason she had come to New Berk, and now with that mission completed, Kenna wondered what she would do next.

As if reading her thoughts, Moon nudged Kenna firmly. As she stepped back, she nodded her large head up the cliff face and toward the village. Instantly, Kenna realized that she had somewhere she needed to be. She stroked Moon's head and leapt up onto her back.

"Kenna, where are you going?" Eret asked, shocked at her sudden exit.

"To deliver the next heir of Berk," she replied with a smile, before the white dragon beneath her leapt into the air soared for the village.


	31. Chapter 31: From Ashes

**CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE: FROM ASHES**

_Hiccup_

Hiccup's heart thudded in his chest as he leapt of Toothless' back and ran into his house.

"Astrid?!" he shouted, his voice tight with panic.

"In here!" her voice sounded strained as she shouted from their bedroom.

"I'm coming Astrid!" Hiccup's feet slipped from underneath him as he scrambled up the burst into the bedroom and froze. Astrid was dressed in only a thin white shift and it clung to her sweat-covered body in places. Firelight shone in from the window, highlighting her silhouette through the fabric. Her hair was tied back in a messy braid, her bangs sticking to her forehead. She had her palms resting on the table and she was rocking her hips back and forth. Her eyes were scrunched closed as she hissed through her teeth. For a moment, Hiccup's panic was replaced by sheer awe and adoration. Astrid had never looked quite so strong or beautiful as she did in this moment.

Astrid looked up in response to Hiccup's sudden entrance.

"Babe," she pleaded, holding out a hand to him. Hiccup walked toward her, ripping off his helmet and gloves, letting them fall to the floor.

"I'm here milady," he whispered, taking her hand in his and placing a kiss on her head.

Just then, another contraction hit and Astrid winced in pain. One hand clutched her stomach while the other gribbed Hiccup's tight enough he felt it would break.

"Astrid, what can I do?" he asked.

Astrid's voice was shaky as she tried to breathe through the pain. "I'm not sure. Gods, I thought I was tough, but this hurts like Hel."

"I know, I know."

They stood in silence for a few moments as Astrid rocked her hips and breathed through the pain, when a quiet knock pulled their attention to the bedroom door. Valka opened it and walked in quietly, a soft smile on her face.

"I see the babe has decided not to wait a moment longer," she said with a soft chuckle.

"Mom-" Hiccup whispered, his eyes asking for guidance.

"It's alright," she said, "Go get a basin of water and some soft cloths. Astrid needs to move around." Hiccup nodded, releasing Astrid's hand and moved to walk away.

"And Hiccup-" he turned at his mom's voice, "take off the armor. You smell like death." Hiccup looked down at his bloodstained armor and nodded before quietly stepping from the room.

* * *

_Kenna_

Kenna walked into the Haddock household after quietly knocking on the doorframe with no response. The hearth glowed softly, the fires having gone out not long ago. Hiccup's armor was scattered around the room, and Kenna was sure that he had removed it in a hurry.

"Hello?" she called into the darkened home, unlatching her armor as she moved further into the main room.

A groan of pain echoed from upstairs and Kenna smiled at the hurried _thunk _and _click _of uneven footsteps from above. Hiccup's head appeared at the top of the stairs.

"We're up here," he said, "you can drop the armor anywhere."

Kenna smirked and shook her head at the panicked father before removing her armor, carefully folding it and placing it on a table, and walking up the stairs. In the bedroom at the top of the stairs, Kenna found Astrid pacing between forced breaths. Hiccup held her hand and watched her intently, the concern and love he felt for his wife evident on his face. Astrid stopped and gripped her belly tightly, letting out a high moan as another contraction wracked her body.

"Astrid, are you okay?" Hiccup asked anxiously. "What can I do? Do you need something?"

Astrid let out the breath that she had been holding and glared at Hiccup, who closed his mouth immediately.

"Hello dear," Valka said as she approached Kenna. "I think Hiccup is more nervous than Astrid," she whispered to the younger woman.

Kenna smiled. "Looks like it," she whispered back. "I should probably step in." She approached the couple and smiled softly at them. "How are things going?"

"Alright," Astrid replied through focused breaths. "The contractions started earlier tonight, and my waters broke right before the mountain was sealed."

"You've been in labor that long?" Hiccup asked. "You should have told me, I would have helped!"

"How?" Astrid retorted. "By telling Drago to stop the attacks? The contractions were small and irregular, I thought they were just practice ones." She stopped and took another deep breath, hissing through her teeth as she exhaled.

"Good," said Kenna calmly. "Hiccup, could you please boil a basin of water? I'd like to check on Astrid."

Hiccup paused, but nodded at Kenna and Astrid's insistent faces and hurried out of the room.

"Alright Astrid, how are you doing, honestly?" Kenna asked as she stepped into Hiccup's place. She gripped Astrid's arms and helped her keep walking throughout the room.

"It hurts. I can feel the pains throughout my stomach and my back and it's really hard to breathe through them."

"That's normal I promise it will all be worth it," said Kenna. "How often are they coming and how long do they last?"

"Maybe seven or eight in an hour, and they're lasting about a minute."

"Great! That means things are right on track. You baby is getting in the perfect position for delivery." Astrid nodded and took another breath as another contraction approached. "Good, Astrid. Just breathe through it. Nice and slow. Perfect. We're going to keep moving so that baby can get a little bit lower."

They continued the slow path around the bedroom, Kenna counting the time between Astrid's pains. They had passed few a few more when the door quietly opened, and Hiccup entered carrying a basic filled with scalding hot water. His hands were wrapped in cloths to protect his skin from the heat. Kenna nodded in thanks, then turned to Valka, quietly asking her to step into Kenna's place. The older woman obliged, walking Astrid around the room as Kenna went over to Hiccup.

"How is she?" he asked quietly.

"Wonderful. Everything is moving exactly the way it should. It's hard to tell, but I think you'll be a father before the evening."

He smiled and let out a small breath, his face lighting up with joy. He watched Astrid for a few moments before he turned back to Kenna. "Drago?" he asked, keeping his voice low.

Kenna's face solemned for a moment. "It's over," she said. "I left Eret and the riders to take care of everything."

"Good," he said, and walked over to Astrid, taking her hand from his mother. She smiled at him before her face scrunched up in another contraction. Kenna watched as Hiccup rubbed Astrid's back, whispering encouraging words in her ear as she breathed through the pain. Husbands like Hiccup were few and far between. At the first signs of labor, most men would flee, happy to pass off responsibility to the women, while they drank to their new child with their friends. But Hiccup was different. Kenna knew that she wouldn't have been able to get rid of Hiccup even if she wanted to. Besides, Astrid clearly wanted him there, and the strength the pair had together was immense. Kenna allowed herself to think about Eret in the same situation. Would he leave or would he insist on staying?

Astrid moaned loudly, a keening wail that Kenna knew meant her time was close. Kenna rushed forward while Hiccup urgently encouraged her to keep breathing. Astrid's body was covered in sweat. Her golden hair was damp and the shift she was wearing clung to her body.

"Astrid, would it be alright if I checked how things are going?" Kenna asked.

Astrid nodded, her breaths coming in short pants.

Kenna reached underneath Astrid's shift and between her thighs. As she checked Astrid's progress, Kenna smiled wide and looked up at the young couple.

"Are you ready to have a baby?"

Hiccup's eyes widened in shock and possibly fear and Astrid let out a breathy laugh. Kenna directed Valka and Hiccup to each take hold of one of Astrid's arms, effectively holding her up. Kenna gathered the supplies; basin of hot water, basin of cool water, and soft cloths, and knelt in front of Astrid. She soaked a small cloth is the cool water and passed it up to Valka, how wordlessly took it and placed it on Astrid's forehead. Astrid closed her eyes in momentary relief and let her head rest on Hiccup's shoulder.

"Astrid, with the next pain, I like you to push. Try to ease into it," Kenna said. Astrid nodded, took a few heavy breaths then furrowed her brow as she started to push.

"Great job, Astrid!" Kenna encouraged. "Keep going! A little more… Good!" Astrid panted as she rested her head on Hiccup's shoulder again. Valka wiped her brow with the cool cloth. Kenna could make out Hiccup uttering soft words of praise and adoration in hushed whispered in Astrid's ear. Kenna felt Astrid's abdomen tighten as another contraction approached.

"Alright Astrid, give it everything you've got!" Astrid bared down, her chin touching her chest as she grit her teeth and pushed hard. Kenna tuned out the words of praise and encouragement from Hiccup and Valka and focused all of her attention on the task at hand. Skin and muscle stretched and tensed to make way for new life. Astrid gave a low, animalistic cry as she pushed through the contraction with all her might. When Astrid stopped to breathe, Kenna encouraged her to keep going.

"Go right back into it, Astrid! Don't stop! Your baby's almost here!"

Astrid continued to push, her knuckles white where she clung to Valka and Hiccup as she gasped and panted. Hiccup murmured into her ear, his forehead pressed against hers. Kenna felt the muscles stretch and give way as small head, covered in brown hair made its way into the world. She kept one hand on the baby and grabbed a soft cloth with the other.

"Astrid, your baby's head is born! With the next contraction, give us another push and your baby will be here!"

Astrid nodded and scrunched her eyes as she pushed with all her might. Small shoulders made their way out, and with a rush, Kenna eased the child into the world. She quickly wiped the child's face of fluid and blood, encouraging it to cry. With a small gasp, the baby let out a small mew, which quickly grew into a full-blown cry. Kenna felt the tension dissipate as a relieved sigh seemed to sweep throughout the room. She felt the way Astrid relaxed her weight into Hiccup and Valka. As Kenna tied the umbilical cord with a piece of twine and cut it with a sharp, clean blade, she overheard words of love and praise above her as the baby's cries faded into quiet whimpers.

"Well done, love. You did such a wonderful job."

"Oh my gods. You did it, they're here."

Kenna wrapped the small figure in a clean blanket and looked up. Three sets of eyes met hers. She nodded to Valka, who pulled a sturdy chair behind Astrid. Hiccup and Valka eased the exhausted woman into the chair, who looked at Kenna expectantly. Kenna smiled and stood, the small bundle clutched in her arms. She smiled at the new mother and father.

"Would you like to meet your daughter?"

Astrid reached out with both arms, hands trembling slightly. Kenna carefully placed the tiny bundle in her arms. Astrid held the baby close to her chest, and pulled the blanket down so she and Hiccup could examine their baby girl.

"She's perfect," Hiccup whispered reverently. "As...you did it. She's so perfect."

Kenna allowed the parents and grandmother to coo and cuddle the newest Haddock as she finished her work. Once the afterbirth had been passed, Kenna checked Astrid for any signs of tearing, and cleaned her with warm water. As she cleaned up, the small family moved Astrid to the bed, so she could lay back and relax.

"She really is the sweetest baby I've ever seen," Kenna said as she cleaned her hands with a damp cloth. "She looks like you," she raised her chin to Hiccup.

"Me?" he asked, a little shocked, as he looked down at his daughter. "Gods help her, then."

Astrid chuckled and stroked the baby's auburn hair as the little one nursed at her breast.

"Thank you Kenna," she said quietly. "I couldn't have done this without you."

"Of course you could have. There is nothing stronger than a woman in labor. All I did was catch."

"Still. I can't thank you enough for everything you've done."

Kenna nodded with a smile and closed the door to give the little family time and privacy to get to know their daughter. She walked down the stairs and out the doors and into the morning light. In the sunlight, she took in the damage to the village. Houses and buildings were destroyed, either by boulders or burned to the ground. The houses further away from the main village still stood, though many had broken windows or were missing shingles. The slight western breeze blew through the village of New Berk, swirling the ashes of destruction away into the air.


	32. Chapter 32: Western Wind

**CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO: WESTERN WIND**

_Hiccup_

Hiccup stood in front of the open window, his daughter cradled in his arms. He took in every detail, memorized every feature, fearful that if he blinked, she would be gone and the battle would still be raging. But the solid weight in his arms reminded him that the battle was over, Drago was dead, and his baby was safe in his arms.

She was small. Not frail and weak as he had been, but petite and perfect. She had ten tiny fingers and toes, each with a miniscule fingernail or toenail. In one tiny hand, she clutched her father's finger tightly. He let his thumb trail lightly over the child's fingers, marvelling at her soft skin. Her perfectly pink lips were opened slightly as she slept, having nursed successfully from her mother. Hiccup turned back to the bed, smiling as he watched Astrid's sleeping form. She was the love of his life. She gave him strength, she gave him support, and now she gave him a child. He walked over to his wife and brushed his lips against her forehead.

"I love you so much," he whispered, "Thank you for everything."

Astrid groaned quietly and turned further into the pillow.

Hiccup walked back to the window and looked out at New Berk. It's citizens were working tirelessly to clear the debris and remains from the battle. Dragons and vikings working together to gather the dead and snuff the remaining fires. He knew she should be out there helping to direct the clean-up, but he wanted just a few more minutes with his new daughter. Besides, he could see Kenna and Eret doing just fine without him. He watched as his friends, bloody and exhausted as they were, working where they were needed. With the help of the dragons, they were all making quick work of the damage and clean-up. The Western breeze assisting them by gently carrying away the smoke and ash. At that moment, a name came to Hiccup's mind. He knew Astrid would love it, he just needed to speak with her once she awoke from her nap.

Below him, Hiccup heard a concerned, yet slightly annoyed whine. No doubt coming from the large Night Fury he had left in the main living space. Deciding he had left Toothless for long enough, Hiccup walked out of the bedroom and to the stairs. At the bottom, Toothless was resting his head on the steps, green eyes curiously gazing up to the second level. Once he saw Hiccup, the dragon lifted his head and smiled at his rider. Hiccup walked carefully down the stairs, his daughter clutched carefully in his arms.

"Hey bud," he said quietly. "I have someone I'd like you to meet."

* * *

By the time the sun began its descent in the West, the village had been cleared of the rubble and carnage. The dead had been buried at sea, the ships set alight for vikings and dragons alike. Several buildings had been destroyed, but the overall damage was minimal, thanks to the precautions the village had set in place. The biggest casualty was the boat launch, reduced to nothing but splinters and ash, but it could be replaced.

Hiccup had called a gathering, and all of New Berk had aggregated in the center of the village. The dragons had also joined them, perching on buildings and trees. At the foot of the statue of Stoick, Hiccup stood, Astrid sitting on Toothless, their new daughter in her arms. Despite the great loss and horrific attack, the air was buzzing with excitement and joy.

"I know we've been through a lot tonight," Hiccup said, his voice quieting the excited murmurs. "I could stand here and talk about the attack and the losses we've experienced, but nothing I can say would ease the grief for those who have lost loved ones, friends, and homes. Berk is strong. All of you standing here are a testament to that. We have rebuilt before, and it's made us stronger. We will rebuild again, always keeping those that we've lost in our minds and hearts."

He paused and looked up at the statue of his father.

"My father would say that it's 'an occupational hazard.' We're vikings. We're stubborn and hard-headed and hard to get rid of. That's why we're still here. Even an attack of this scale wasn't enough to destroy us!" Applause and shouts erupted around him. The devastation could have been so much worse. Only a few of the warriors had made the ultimate sacrifice and now dined in Valhalla. "But as I said, I'm not up here to talk about the attacks. I have gathered you all here to announce the birth of the heir of Berk!"

Again, the crowd burst into applause and cheers. Hiccup looked at his friends, his face split in a wide grin. Gobber was crying, a handkerchief in his hook. Snotlout was standing on top of Hookfang, chanting "Hiccup, Hiccup, oy oy oy!" at the top of his lungs. Hiccup turned to Astrid, her own smile lighting up her face. He walked over to her, kissing her gently, before she passed the small bundle into his arms. Hiccup turned back to his tribe, holding up his daughter so that they could all see her sweet face.

"Ladies and gentleman of Berk, it gives me great joy as chief to announce my daughter, Zephyr Haddock the first, heir of Berk."

Around him, vikings cheered and dragons roared in joy. The noise was deafening, and he expected Zephyr to cry, but instead her wide eyes looked up to the sky as an explosion of colorful fire ignited the air; a tribute and gift from the dragons that all of Berk treasured so dearly. He looked at Astrid and they laughed in joy, looking up at the colorful display.


End file.
